ROMANCE 

OF THE 

SILVER 

SHOON 

REV. 
DAVID 
BEARNE 
S • 



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THE ROMANCE OF THE SILVER SHOON 


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THE ROMANCE 
OF THE SILVER SHOON 


A Story of the 
Sixteenth Century 

BY 

Rev. DAVID BEARNE, S.J. 



New York Cincinnati Chicago 

BENZIGER BROTHERS 

PRINTERS TO THE I PUBLISHERS OF 

HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE | BENZIGER’s MAGAZINE 


1909 



Copyright, 1909 , by Behzioer Brothers 


Ah 


* 

V 4 
4 « ( 


©CLA251909 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

CHAPTER I 

Olaf's Christmas Gift 7 

CHAPTER II 

A Christmas Ball-dress. m 14 

CHAPTER III 

Queen Marabout's Difficulties 27 

CHAPTER IV 

Joel the Silversmith 36 

CHAPTER V 

An Attack and a Flight 50 

CHAPTER VI 

The King's Petitioners 62 

CHAPTER VII 

The King of Great Potamia 74 

CHAPTER VIII 

Page and Minstrel 86 

CHAPTER IX 

Merchants at Court 102 

5 


6 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

CHAPTER X 

The Coronation 113 

CHAPTER XI 

The Lady Elizabeth 123 

CHAPTER XII 

At the Court of Bonhomy 135 

CHAPTER XIII 

High Stakes 145 

CHAPTER XIV 

The Coming of Hermann 156 

CHAPTER XV 

Deliverance 165 

CHAPTER XVI 

A Surprise 177 

CHAPTER XVII 

Brought to Book 185 

CHAPTER XVm 

Epilogue 192 


THE ROMANCE OF THE 
SILVER SHOON 

CHAPTER I 

OLAF’s CHRISTMAS GIFT 

44 it is impossible !” exclaimed the King of Bonhomy. 

* 4 4 It is preposterous,” said his Queen. 

4 ‘Sire,” said Prince Olaf to his father, “your Maj- 
esty’s word can never be impossible or preposterous. 
Moreover, it cannot be broken. ’ 9 

The King laughed, though he had been entrapped 
and he did not like it. It was an old promise that he 
had made to his son. When Olaf was twelve years old 
he was to choose his own Christmas gift, for Christmas 
Day was his birthday. 

For something expensive the King had been pre- 
pared. It was not the costliness of what Olaf had 
asked for that disturbed his Majesty, but the extraor- 
dinary nature of the thing itself. Indeed the King had 
been ready to spend much more money than would be 
required for what Olaf wanted. The boy inherited a 
taste for beautiful things, and within certain limits 
both the King and Queen were willing to gratify that 
taste. For if he was not faultless he was a loving and 
an obedient son; and though his father and mother 


7 


8 


OLAF’S CHRISTMAS GIFT 


felt sure he would never be a Cardinal- Archbishop, as 
they had hoped, they were equally sure he would al- 
ways he a pious Catholic. He was their youngest child, 
the youngest of seven sons. He had five sisters and 
four of them were married. A pair of solid silver 
shoes ! This was the unheard of gift that Olaf desired. 
Always he had had a notable taste for the white metal. 
And now the King and Queen came to think of it, every 
birthday present they had ever given him had been 
made of silver. It is true that the cups sent to him for 
his christening were of gold ; but from his earliest years 
he had preferred silver to the more precious metal. 

“But, my child/ ’ remonstrated the Queen, “even 
if the silversmith can make them to fit you nicely they 
are sure to hurt your feet . 9 9 

“Not if he lines them with silk or velvet, and I wear 
my winter hose , 9 9 said the Prince. 

“Certainly they will be very uncomfortable / 9 
laughed the King, “and serve you right. Why you 
might just as well wear the iron shoes that belong to 
your suit of armour . 9 9 

1 ‘ May I send for the court silversmith, sire f 9 9 asked 
the boy, as he kissed his father ’s cheek. 

“Yes, but you’d better send for the shoemaker as 
well , 99 put in the Queen. “Silversmiths are not cob- 
blers, you know.” 


OLAF’S CHRISTMAS GIFT 


9 


‘ 4 To be sure, ’ 9 said Olaf as he put his arms round his 
mother ’s neck. i 6 I never thought of that . 9 9 

“Fortunately, my darling,’’ said the Queen as she 
kissed his lips, “you have the small pretty feet that 
belong to my side of the family.” 

It wanted just three weeks to Christmas Day, and 
Olaf ’s one anxiety was lest the silversmith should fail 
to have the gift finished in time. But long before the 
Angelus bell rang on Christmas Eve the silver shoes 
were on the Prince’s feet. He was so delighted with 
them that he wanted to make the silversmith a knight, 
but this, said the King, was not in the bargain. Cer- 
tainly the man had followed the Prince’s instructions 
to the letter. So little surprise had he shown at the 
command, Olaf was half inclined to think that, after 
all, silver shoes were not a novelty. They were made, 
said the smith, of solid silver of the purest quality, quite 
without ornament of any kind, saving that the Prince ’s 
device was engraved upon the instep, just where the 
latchet opened on the hinge in order to admit the foot. 
They were lined with wadded silk. 

Olaf declared that they were not only a perfect fit 
but the most comfortable pair of shoes he had ever 
worn. He admitted that they were heavier than he had 
expected them to be, and he had not thought they would 
make quite so much noise when he walked in them. His 


10 


OLAF’S CHRISTMAS GIFT 


pages were full of admiration of such a novelty ; though 
one boy who had once worn wooden shoes for a month 
as a punishment told the Prince that his new foot-gear 
was many times heavier than sabots. 

No need now to ask where the Prince was : the noise 
of his metal shoes falling on stone and marble and 
wood could everywhere be heard, unless the floor 
rushes chanced to be very thickly strewn. When his 
Highness walked into the castle-chapel for Midnight 
Mass his footfall was like that of a man-at-arms. 

It had been the custom that on Christmas Day some 
member of the royal family should visit the big Car- 
melite priory that stood at the foot of the hill. This 
year Prince Olaf was to be permitted to represent the 
King, his father. Olaf was delighted. Here was a 
splendid chance of showing off his Christmas gift. 
After the last Mass he mounted his horse and attended 
by a retinue of pages and guards rode down the snow- 
covered hill to the priory gates, where he was received 
by the Prior and community. Boy-like, he had antici- 
pated the hour at which royal visitors were expected, 
and though a special messenger had been sent to tell 
the friars of his Highness’s approach, it was impossible 
for them to dismiss the great crowd of poor people who 
waited at their gates for the Christmas dole. 


OLAF’S CHRISTMAS GIFT 


11 


Now up to this time the Prince’s life had been a very 
sheltered one, and though he rode out hunting quite 
regularly, and sometimes passed through the principal 
streets of the city, he had never before seen such a 
crowd of hungry-looking men and women and chil- 
dren. 

As he reached the priory and reined in his horse to 
look round upon the multitude, he was astounded to 
see so many blind and crippled folk, so many ragged 
and barefooted boys and girls, so many evidences of 
poverty, disease, and suffering. It seemed to him that 
the misery of the whole world had been collected and 
brought to the gates of this religious house. 

Too feeble to burst into lively cheering, the crowd 
began to make some demonstrations of loyalty and re- 
spect. The guards had already cleared a way to the 
priory gates, and as his Highness advanced the people 
went down on their knees in the snow. To the astonish- 
ment of the Prior, as the Prince stepped forward there 
were tears in his eyes. 

“Father Prior,’ ’ began Olaf as soon as he had dis- 
mounted, “why do all the poor people in the world 
come to you?” 

“Alas! your Highness,” said the Prior with a sad 
smile, “these are only a very few of the poor of the 
city. Crowds like this are waiting at the gates of 


12 


OLAF’S CHRISTMAS GIFT 


every religious house in the world; yea, and bigger 
crowds than this.” 

“Is it possible!” exclaimed the Prince. “But do 
they always come to beg on Christmas Day?” 

“Always, your Highness,” smiled the Prior, “and 
every day in the year. At times we try to give them 
bread, but on great festivals we contrive to have some- 
thing extra for them.” 

The Prince looked down at his silver shoes and was 
silent for a moment. Suddenly he asked: “Will 
they have to wait longer now that I have come? 
Please do not let them: they look so very cold and 
hungry. ’ ’ 

“That is a most kind thought on the part of your 
Highness, but ” the Prior hesitated. 

“Father Prior,” exclaimed the boy with decision, 
“I will come again. I will come to-morrow. But first 
I must see my father and mother.” 

Hastily kissing the Prior’s beads the Prince hurried 
back to his horse as fast as his silver shoes would per- 
mit him. In another moment he was riding away at a 
gallop. 

On St. Stephen’s Day Prince Olaf was present at 
High Mass in the priory church. When he had com- 
municated, instead of returning to his seat in the choir, 


OLAF’S CHRISTMAS GIFT 


13 


he went to the crib and knelt there long after the Mass 
was finished. 

When his Highness had left the church, the sacristan 
found standing just within the crib a pair of silver 
shoes. Within one of them lay a scrap of parchment, 
and this is what was written upon it. 

“Olaf, a sinful boy, begs King Jesus to accept these 
shoes . Father Prior, who is the almoner of King 
Jesus, will please turn this silver into many pairs of 
wooden shoon for the poor boys and girls of the city . 
May the King of Heaven always have pity on the soul 
of Olaf, a sinner.” 

Two years later among the young Carmelite novices 
who helped to serve the Christmas dole to the poor 
was a boy who had that very morning received the 
holy habit. As he moved about with smiling face and 
loving eyes the people were heard whispering to one 
another : ‘ ‘ If that is not our good Prince Olaf, it is his 
angel !” 

“Two years ago,” said one friar to another, “he 
gave his silver shoes to the Infant Jesus; to-day he 
has given himself to the Divine Babe for ever.” 


CHAPTER H 


A CHRISTMAS BALL-DRESS 

T o tell you that the young Queen Marabout once 
ruled over the kingdom of Lesser Potamia, is 
merely reminding you of what you know ; while to in- 
sist overmuch on the fact that Lesser Potamia is 
bounded on the north and east by Great Potamia, on the 
west by Bonhomy, and on the south by the Milky Sea, 
would be an insult to your knowledge of the world’s 
map. 

It is not wicked to be young — though, years ago, I 
met people who seemed to think it was; and Queen 
Marabout might have been much younger without 
blame and without reproach if — well, if she had be- 
haved better. But her mother had died when the child 
was very small; when she was fifteen years old her 
father was killed while boar-hunting. 

Fifteen is an early age at which to be crowned Queen, 
but Marabout was the last person in the world to 
shrink from occupying an elevated position ; and 
though at first she wept a little for her father’s death, 
she did not try to conceal her delight at the coronation 
— which took place the day after his Majesty’s funeral. 
14 


A CHRISTMAS BALL-DRESS 


15 


Yes, she was very young, and if you wanted to get 
into everlasting disgrace at the Court of Lesser Pota- 
mia all you had to do was to remind the Queen of her 
youth. Long before she reached the age of eighteen 
she had imprisoned or banished or dismissed most of 
the old court officials, including the chaplains, who had 
served her father long and faithfully. She wanted 
younger people about her, she said, and of course she 
did not find the slightest difficulty in getting ladies and 
gentlemen as young as, in many cases much younger 
than, herself. Indeed she preferred that her personal 
attendants should be her juniors. 

So she had thirty or forty maids of honour and 
young ladies-in-waiting, and a little band of hoy pages 
and young gentlemen-in-waiting — every one of whom 
ought to have been at school. Of course the Prime- 
Minister, the Lord Chamberlain, and the other neces- 
sary officials were quite grown up — otherwise I don’t 
know what would have become of the kingdom of Les- 
ser Potamia. 

Fortunately for the court of Lesser Potamia, the 
Queen, like most empty-headed persons, was never 
happy unless she was flying about the world at break- 
neck speed “enjoying,” as she called it, change of air 
and scene. She said the Court Doctor had told her that 
travelling was necessary for the maintenance of her 


16 


A CHRISTMAS BALL-DRESS 


health; the truth being that, like all the other court 
officials who were left at home, his only chance of ob- 
taining a little rest and peace was to get rid of his 
royal mistress. 

At one time or other the Queen had visited nearly 
every country in Europe — except her own and the ad- 
jacent kingdom of Great Potamia. She knew very 
much less about any one of them than did the post-boys 
who rode the horses that pulled her chaise ; for as she 
always put up at the grandest of grand hotels, and 
rarely left her card-table except to go shopping, and 
seldom spent more than a day or two in one city, and 
had no taste for anything except cards and cookery, 
feathers and chiffon, it seemed to her that there was 
very little difference indeed between one country and 
another. What a lover of motor-cars she would have 
been supposing that in her time such things had been 
in use ! 

As she always travelled incognito, she never in- 
cluded in her suite more than two ladies-in-waiting, 
one page and a courier, and you may just imagine what 
a sorry time of it they had. For the ladies had to act 
as veritable serving maids, and the boy led the life of 
an ill-used dog. She knew no language but her own — 
‘ ‘not even that,” her old governess once declared — and 
indeed if it had not been for the experienced courier 


A CHRISTMAS BALL-DRESS 


17 


she always employed I cannot imagine how she could 
have travelled at all. 

Now the reason why her Majesty had never visited 
Great Potamia was this. The King of that country was 
a boy of fifteen, and Queen Marabout had quite made 
up her mind to marry him — when he was eighteen. As 
I told you before, she liked the people about her to he 
younger than herself, and she was determined that her 
future husband should be her junior. Moreover, she 
often told her maids that though she intended to be 
Queen of Great Potamia she would take particular care 
that its ruler did not become even King Consort of her 
own country. 4 4 What is his will be mine,” she said, 
“but what is mine is mine alone.” 

At Christmas-time the Queen was going home for a 
court ball on what the newspapers called “a scale of 
unexampled splendour.” Now among the things that 
she was really fond of, dress easily took the lead. She 
pretended to “adore” any number of objects; but as 
her uncle, the old Cardinal- Archbishop, once told her, 
the only person she was really in love with was herself. 
His Eminence was promptly exiled. 

It is possible that the Queen loved dress just because 
she was so much in love with herself ; at any rate, she 
certainly did adore fine clothes. What is more, she 
“very nearly rather liked” anybody who suggested a 


18 


A CHRISTMAS BALL-DRESS 


new fashion. As a rule, however, she invented her 
own robes and confections. 

For a dress for the grand State ball we have men- 
tioned she one morning told her ladies that she had 
conceived the most brilliant idea that ever entered 
the brain of a Queen. As she began to explain it to 
them in detail they all sat spellbound — as well they 
might. 

“The dress will be entirely of feathers,’ ’ said the 
Queen, “the feathers of birds — chiefly singing birds. 
Blackbirds, thrushes, nightingales, blackcaps, bull- 
finches, meadow-warblers, robins — each will contribute 
a flounce. The skirt will be of wings, but for the bodice 
we shall reserve the breast feathers. We have not yet 
made up our mind whether to have a belt made of 
robins’ or of bullfinches’ breasts. Which do you sug- 
gest, ladies?” 

But though all the girls had their mouths wide open 
not one of them could say anything but “Oh!” 

“Yes, isn’t it a lovely idea?” asked the Queen, who 
quite misunderstood the “Oh!” chorus, and thought 
all her ladies were in ecstasies. “But which pink do 
you recommend for a belt, Lady Bose? Both are so 
pretty, it is rather hard to choose, is it not?” 

“It is indeed, madame,” answered Lady Bose with a 
gasp, “but — hut ” 


A CHRISTMAS BALL-DRESS 


19 


“Well?” asked the Queen. “Don’t stutter in our 
presence — if you please.” 

“I humbly beg your Majesty’s pardon,” said the 
maid of honour, “but — but — but ” 

“What! you’re stuttering again!” shouted the 
Queen, slapping the girl’s bare arms: all the ladies 
wore sleeveless frocks so that the Queen could the more 
easily slap their arms. 

“Begging your Majesty’s pardon,” said Lady Rose 
desperately as she rubbed her arms, “but your Maj- 
esty can’t kill robins.” 

“Can’t? can’t ff can’t???” exclaimed Marabout, 
punctuating each interrogation with a slap on Lady 
Rose’s face; “do you dare to tell us that there is any 
thing we can’t do?” 

“No, no ! — oh no, your Majesty, of course not,” cried 
the now weeping Lady Rose. “Of course, if your Maj- 
esty wants robins, your Majesty must have them.” 

“We should just think so,” said the Queen with a 
laugh. “In fact your impertinent remark has helped 
us to make up our royal mind. Our belt shall be com- 
posed of robins’ breasts. We will reserve the bull- 
finches for a collarette. But how very glum you all 
are!” continued the Queen, looking round upon her 
ladies. “Ah, we quite understand: you are all as jeal- 
ous as you can be. You are envious of our superior 


20 


A CHRISTMAS BALL-DRESS 


cleverness and inventiveness, we suppose. Well, no 
wonder. However, you may all go now. Send to us 
the Lord Chamberlain and the Master of the Royal 
Pages. The birds have yet to be killed. ’ ’ 

When the maids of honour and ladies-in-waiting left 
the royal presence they talked to one another for over 
two hours without stopping. And as they all shouted 
at once and nobody listened, you may imagine the kind 
of confusion that reigned in the ladies’ quarters. Yet 
this was a small family tea-party compared with the 
row that went on that same evening in the dormitory 
of the pages and the young gentlemen-in-waiting. For 
the boys had been interviewed by the Lord Chamber- 
lain and their own Master, and a list of the birds they 
had to begin to shoot on the following morning was 
already posted up on the wall of the guard-room. Be- 
fore they went to bed they each and all resolved that 
not one little bird should he shot by them. 

The Chamberlain was a gentleman of rank who had 
been a great favourite of the Queen’s father. He was 
of middle age, and his experience of court life was 
ripe and particular. The ruling of royal personages he 
had made into an exact science, or if you like, into the 
finest of fine arts. His leading principle was to agree 
with everything they said, to promise that everything 


A CHRISTMAS BALL-DRESS 


21 


they commanded should be done immediately, and then 
— to do what he knew would be best. 

So when the Queen told him how many hundreds of 
singing birds she required for her hall-costume, he did 
not express the smallest surprise, but answered her 
Majesty that the finding and killing of so many song- 
sters was just the easiest thing in the world, and that 
he would lose no time in distributing to the boys the 
necessary bows and arrows. 

The Master of the Pages was quite a different sort 
of man. In the royal presence he did nothing but bow 
and smile : out of it he did little but grumble and growl. 
He was supposed to teach the three IPs to the pages: 
and this he did indifferently well. As a disciplinarian 
he was not particularly notable ; but then, as he said (to 
the Queen’s face), her Majesty was such an admirable 
ruler of all her subjects, including the pages, that his 
own office was a sinecure. Behind the Queen’s back 
he was wont to say that boys who were constantly being 
thumped, boxed, smacked, often enough put in irons or 
set in the stocks, had nearly all the punishment that 
could be got into a day’s work. 

On the following morning when the two officials met, 
they both looked thoughtful, and walked together in 
perfect silence until they reached the courtyard of the 
castle. The Chamberlain was the first to speak. 


22 


A CHRISTMAS BALL-DRESS 


“I suppose your young wretches will be only too de- 
lighted with this royal order ?” he asked. “The de- 
structive little beasts will just kill off every bird in the 
countryside.” 

The Master smiled and shook his head ; then after a 
pause he remarked: “Your lordship has some knowl- 
edge of Queens, but, if I may say so, your understand- 
ing of boys is imperfect.” 

4 4 Do you mean to say that they will refuse to do the 
Queen’s bidding?” 

4 4 They have already done so. ’ ’ 

“She’ll have them all hanged — to a boy.” 

4 4 Don ’t think she will, ’ ’ said the Master. 4 4 They are 
nearly all noble, and their parents would appeal to the 
King of Great Potamia. You know, my lord, what our 
army is like.” 

4 4 One hundred and twenty-three men, all told,” 
mused the Chamberlain. 4 4 Yes, you are right. Be- 
sides, the one person on earth she really fears — and 
hopes some day to marry — is the young King of Great 
Potamia. All the same, you know, something’s got to 
be done.” 

4 4 Yes, I suppose something’s got to be done; but you 
may bet your gold stick the boys won’t do it. No, my 
lord, you’d better go to your chamber and think some- 
thing out. ’ ’ 


A CHRISTMAS BALL-DRESS 


23 


‘ 4 Can’t yon have an epidemic — measles, for in- 
stance ?” 

1 ‘ Afraid it won’t do. You see when she ordered 
those sixteen boys to get forty lashes apiece we had to 
go in for whooping-cough. That is so recent that if we 
had another epidemic she might be suspicious . 9 9 

“Ah,” whispered the Chamberlain, “I shall have to 
send for old Magus, the jester’s uncle.” 

The Chamberlain and Magus were sitting together 
in consultation in one of the former’s apartments, high 
up in the southwestern tower. A beautiful room it 
was, hung with ancient tapestry in which the green and 
gold and crimson glistened in the noon-day sun. From 
the Gothic windows there was a view of quite one- 
half of the entire kingdom of Lesser Potamia. 

6 1 To kill so many birds at once is of course quite out 
of the question,” Magus was saying. “The crops were 
bad enough last year, my lord, but such wholesale de- 
struction would inevitably lead to a famine. No birds, 
no corn ; no birds, no fruit : that is what it would mean, 
my lord. ’ ’ 

“I know it,” said the Chamberlain, sadly, “I know it 
well. Moreover, I fear the people would rise in rebel- 
lion.” 

“If they did not revolt on account of the killing of 
the birds they would certainly do so when they found 


24 


A CHRISTMAS BALL-DRESS 


that their crops were ruined. You see, my lord, they 
have already been greatly tried by her Majesty’s — may 
I call it erratic conduct ?” 

“You certainly may,” answered the Chamberlain. 
“You could not find a milder word for such extraor- 
dinary doings as hers. Between ourselves I sometimes 

think ” here the Chamberlain got up, opened his 

door and looked down the stairway outside. Then he 
returned and for half-an-hour or more the two men 
spoke in whispers. They were not plotting against the 
Queen — they were much too honest and loyal to do 
that ; but they were considering what would be best and 
wisest to do supposing some day her Majesty’s sub- 
jects should rise in rebellion. They both came to the 
conclusion that the only possible thing would be to beg 
the help of the King of Great Potamia. 

However, this did not assist the poor Chamberlain 
in the matter of the Queen’s ball-dress of feathers. 

“I must think it out,” said Magus when his com- 
panion harked back to the original question. “It is 
such a large order that at this moment I cannot see 
my way to help you. But I will go back to my hut and 
consider it. Could your lordship ride over and see me 
just after sunset?” 

The Chamberlain said he could and would. And he 
did. Though he had ridden his horse thither at a fast 


A CHRISTMAS BALL-DRESS 


25 


trot, he returned to the castle at a gallop, and the 
groom who relieved him of his steed declared that his 
lordship whistled and sang all the way upstairs to his 
apartments in the tower. 

Everybody at the ball said, truly enough, that such 
a costume as that of Queen Marabout’s had never be- 
fore been seen in any age of the world ’s history. Some, 
however, were struck dumb with admiration — so the 
Queen thought. When she asked them pointedly how 
they liked her unique creation, they replied that words 
entirely failed them when they tried to express their 
feelings. Yet, strangely enough, once they had left the 
castle they could talk of nothing else. In fact, the 
Queen’s feather-costume became the talk of Lesser Po- 
tamia, and you may be sure that whatever was dis- 
cussed in that country soon became the favourite topic 
of Great Potamia. 

The secret was shared by only a few very reliable 
people. For the truth is that not one single small bird 
had been killed to furnish feathers for the Queen’s 
ball-dress. The materials used for the costume by the 
Queen’s dressmakers were just the feathers of geese 
and turkeys, dyed and painted to resemble the plumage 
of the robin, the bullfinch, the thrush, and all the other 
birds she had mentioned. 


26 


A CHRISTMAS BALL-DRESS 


For, as you know, at Christmas-time the slaughter 
of geese and turkeys in Lesser Potamia is enormous, 
and, as Magus had told the Chamberlain, to buy up 
their feathers, big and little, and to dye them appro- 
priately would be a comparatively easy operation. 
Magus himself superintended the entire business, and 
the result was in every way satisfactory. The dress- 
makers were not in the secret, for as they had stipu- 
lated that every feather should come into their hands 
ready dried and cured, and as not one of them could 
have distinguished the plumage of a plover from that 
of an owl, they were the last people in the world to be 
suspicious. 

The young jester knew the secret, of course, and so 
did his friend the cook ; but not one of the pages or the 
maids of honour was aware that every feather in the 
Queen’s dress had come from the poultry-yard. They 
had been bought wholesale, said my Lord Chamberlain, 
and the statement was a true one. When somebody 
remarked to the jester that there must have been a lot 
of killing, he replied, “Yes, and by villains of the 
deepest dye.” 

“And what about those four negro pages ?” some- 
body else asked him. 

“Ah!” he exclaimed, “corkers, weren’t they? 
Sooted the colour of the Queen’s dress — didn’t they?” 


CHAPTER III 

QUEEN MABABOUT'S DIFFICULTIES 

yjis Majesty the King of Great Potamia had prom- 
A A ised to pay Queen Marabout a visit; but as she 
was so rarely at home, and as he was not particularly 
fond of paying visits, they had not met since she was a 
girl of ten, and he a little lad of seven. And as he was 
now only fifteen, of course there was no sort of hurry, 
and she would take great care that his Majesty should 
visit her in state before ever she set foot in his king- 
dom. 

Now the court officials, particularly the Secretary of 
State and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, were feel- 
ing very anxious about this forthcoming marriage. 
Indeed they heartily wished that the King and Queen 
might at least become engaged, for to say truth her 
Majesty’s money-bags were getting very empty, and 
so many of the best people had gone to live in Great 
Potamia that how to raise the enormous sums of money 
the Queen constantly demanded, the Chancellor of the 
Exchequer simply could not imagine. They had re- 
duced the army until its dimensions had become those 
of a guard of honour, and as to the navy — well, when I 
27 


28 


QUEEN MARABOUT’S DIFFICULTIES 


tell you that it consisted of one pleasure-barge, one 
sailing yacht, and one gunboat, you will understand. 
The salaries of the officials were all in arrears, and the 
Queen’s debts to dressmakers, milliners, and tailors 
were simply enormous. The very handsome liveries 
worn by the pages had not been paid for for three or 
four years, and when you hear that the court tailors 
had to design a new doublet for each boy every three 
months, and that every suit had to be of a distinctive 
colour, you will get an idea of the colossal size of the 
tailors’ bills. 

“You really must not expect me to remember your 
wretched names,” the Queen had said to the pages at 
the beginning of her reign. “You shall each have a 
suit of a different colour, and I shall call you Scarlet, 
Crimson, Purple, Green, Blue, Yellow, Pink, and so 
on.” Similarly the young ladies were called Lady 
Rose, Lady Mauve, Lady Cerise, and the rest. 

Now as some of these boys and girls had names that 
the writing of took up nearly half a sheet of notepaper, 
you may imagine what their feelings were ; hut then at 
the court of Lesser Potamia nobody was supposed to 
have any feelings except the Queen herself. Moreover, 
as she fancied that she had an eye that was exceedingly 
sensitive to colour — the lads had to group themselves in 
a certain order, and woe betide the unfortunate boys 


QUEEN MARABOUT’S DIFFICULTIES 29 

whose colour sense was not educated or who forgot 
their exact position in the royal circle. 

So it was no wonder that the confabulations of the 
Chamberlain and the Chancellor became frequent and 
prolonged. Almost at any hour you might see them 
striding up and down the inner courtyard of the castle, 
talking together in a low voice and trying in vain to hit 
upon some plan of raising money without adding to 
the existing weight of the taxes. 

One morning they were joined by the Master of the 
Pages and proceeded to take him into their confidence. 
His almost immediate suggestion that her Majesty 
should be strongly advised to reduce the number of her 
pages and gentlemen-in-waiting was received with 
laughter. 

“Why that was the very first thing I proposed to the 
Queen,’ ’ said the Chancellor, “and she immediately 
told me that that was the very last thing she would 
ever dream of consenting to. Then I hinted that per- 
haps her ladies-in-waiting were somewhat in excess; 
but she grew so angry that really if I hadn’t stepped 
back a pace or two I believe she would have hit me a 
blow on the head with her heaviest sceptre.” 

“Well, well,” sighed the Chamberlain, “we must 
look up old Magus again. Though he is the uncle of a 
fool, he is by no means a fool of an uncle. I suppose 


30 


QUEEN MARABOUT’S DIFFICULTIES 


the farther away from courts and cities a man gets the 
more clearly he can think. We must send the Fool for 
the Wise Man.” 

“By the way,” asked the Master, “where is the 
Court Fool to-day?” 

“Ah, I’m glad you remind me. He’s in the stocks, 
and I think I may venture to release him. ’ ’ 

The Court Jester was a boy of sixteen, and supposed 
to be one of the Queen’s favourites; yet this did not 
save him from her Majesty’s displeasure, particu- 
larly if he failed to make the right kind of jest, 
or showed himself unskilful in composing flattering 
speeches. He had asked a riddle the night before — 
“Why is Lesser Potamia all table-land?” and when 
everybody, including the Queen, gave it up, he an- 
swered, “’Cos you can cover it with a table-cloth.” 
Everybody laughed except her Majesty; she was 
furious, and ordered him to spend the night in the 
stocks. 

“Well, he’s in good company,” said the Master, as 
he and the Chamberlain walked on to an inner court 
where stood the stocks and whipping-post, the pillory 
and wooden horse. ‘ ‘ She had one of my boys laid by 
the heels this morning. ’ ’ 

As the officials came in sight of the stocks the two 
prisoners immediately set up a whining cry — though 


QUEEN MARABOUT’S DIFFICULTIES 


31 


a moment before they had been laughing and pelting 
one another with nutshells. 

“Oh, my Lord Chamberlain, ’ ’ called out the young 
jester, “won’t you come and draw some whines from 
the wood?” 

“Better leave you to mature in the wood, I’m think- 
ing,” laughed the Chamberlain — who, however, was 
already turning over his big bunch of keys. 

“Hurrah for my Lord Chamberlain!” shouted the 
page. 

4 4 Don ’t you get hollering till you ’re out o ’ the wood, ’ ’ 
the clown remarked. 4 4 My lord didn’t say he was go- 
ing to let you out o’ the stocks. Besides, you ain’t been 
here all night.” 

“O, my lord, please let me out!” cried the page. 
“I haven’t done anything really, my lord. I only 
yawned when we were on duty this morning, and that 
was because the Queen kept us up so late last night.” 

4 4 This is your affair, rather than mine,” said the 
Chamberlain to the Master as he unlocked the stocks. 

4 4 Come along, boys,” said the Master, lifting the 
heavy oak board and releasing the feet of the two lads. 

4 4 You go and wash yourself and make your hair tidy,” 
he said to the page. 

4 4 Have you had any breakfast?” the Chamberlain 
asked the jester. 


32 QUEEN MARABOUT’S DIFFICULTIES 

6 ‘ Well, my lord,” grinned the youngster, rubbing his 
aching ankles, “ I did happen to catch a bird — on the 
wing, so to say.” 

“ You caught a bird and ate it — raw?” 

The grin broadened as the clown said in a low voice : 
‘ i ’Twasn ’ t exactly raw , my lord. ’Twas a bird the cook 
threw at me — to keep me quiet, he said. So I just 
caught it and ate it.” 

“Hum!” laughed the Chancellor, “I don’t suppose 
it was a roasted sparrow.” 

“No, my lord, ’twasn ’t. In fact, ’twas a roasted 
pheasant. The cook’s fond of trying to make game of 
me, my lord.” 

“Well, well! But now cease your fooling and be the 
wise lad you are capable of being. I want to see your 
uncle, Magus — at once. Do you think you can bring 
him to the castle by noon-day?” 

“If he ain’t blown himself up with those chemicals 
of his I can, my lord. ’ ’ 

“Both of you will be blown up if you’re not here by 
twelve o’clock.” 

“And if we are, my lord, you’ll give us both a good 
blow-out, eh?” 

‘ 4 Get along with you, you vulgar boy ! ’ ’ laughed the 
Chamberlain. “You’re too fat by half for a jester. 
What you need is exercise. Now, off you go !” 


QUEEN MARABOUT’S DIFFICULTIES 


33 


With a bow that was half a grimace the lad ran off 
to find his uncle, who lived about a mile from the 
castle. A notable man and reputed to be a magician 
and a wizard was the jester’s uncle; but as a matter 
of fact he was nothing more than a naturalist and a 
chemist with a fancy for making experiments. The 
country folk stood in awe of him, it is true, and he was 
glad of that ; it saved him a great deal of time. He was 
too fond of literature and science to care very much 
for mere gossip, and when particularly daring people 
now and then came to consult him, he told them quite 
plainly that he had not the slightest knowledge of 
the future — except what Holy Church had taught 
him and them. In fact he was a good, pious man 
who only asked to be left alone to say his prayers in 
peace, to study nature, and to make experiments in 
chemistry. 

Yet the people would have it that he was a wise man, 
and so he was ; but wise with quite a different and much 
higher sort of wisdom to that with which they credited 
him. For he was a reader and a thinker, and, as he 
often told his nephew, he hoped one day to discover 
something that would prove a benefit to his fellow-men. 
Great friends were he and the Lord Chamberlain — who 
was already indebted to him for much advice and help. 
In fact the people at the castle were getting into the 


34 QUEEN MARABOUT’S DIFFICULTIES 

habit of referring to him in all their numerous diffi- 
culties. 

Thus when the Queen one day ordered a dinner of 
crocodile soup, elephant steaks, lion collops, and tiger 
chops, though the Chamberlain had told her Majesty 
that nothing could be simpler or easier — the country 
did not contain even a menagerie — the cook immedi- 
ately disguised himself as a beggar in order to run 
away. However, the jester said to him, 4 ‘Don’t be in 
a hurry : let me fetch my uncle. ” 

So Magus had come to the castle, and with the help 
of bull-beef and goat’s flesh and some very nasty 
chemicals, a wild beast dinner was punctually served 
to the Queen — who declared that though wild animals 
ought to be tender, as a matter of fact they were not, 
and on the whole she thought beef and mutton, lamb 
and veal, poultry and game were preferable. 

Then there was that affair of the four black boys she 
commanded the Chamberlain to order, so that the effect 
of a new dress with a train thirty-five yards long might 
not be marred by being held and carried by any four 
of her own pages with their red and white complexions 
and their gorgeous clothes. Now there was not a black 
boy to be had either for love or money in the entire 
kingdom, and in those days there were no Army and 
Navy Stores, no Whiteley or Lewis. 


QUEEN MARABOUT’S DIFFICULTIES 


35 


Yet after a few minutes’ talk with Magus, and after 
Magus had spent a couple of hours within the precincts 
of the castle, four boys with frizzy hair and with faces 
and hands as black as ebony were very much at the 
Queen’s service; and though the black came off their 
hands and quite spoiled a breadth of the light-coloured 
silk worn by the Queen, there was such a length of 
train between them and her Majesty that she was com- 
pletely unconscious of the fraud, and congratulated the 
Chamberlain upon the superior and shining blackness 
the young niggers exhibited. If only she could have 
seen them — and others — grinning! For the quartet 
consisted of two boys from the stables and two scul- 
lions from the kitchen. 

And of course the stable-lads and kitchen-boys did 
not mind having their hands and faces blacked, for the 
latter were too well used to the colour to object to it, 
and the former said it washed off much quicker than 
did harness blacking. Besides, it was a rare holiday 
for them to assist at a State ball, or at any other court 
function — though their arms did ache whenever they 
were called upon to carry all those yards and yards of 
train. Indeed they said they much preferred the fa- 
mous feather costume, because it was not only lighter 
but its train had to be removed before the Queen could 
dance. 


CHAPTER IV 


JOEL THE SILVEKSMITH 

T Tow Prince Olaf chose for his birthday present a 
* * pair of silver shoon; how he received them on 
Christmas Eve and wore them at Midnight Mass ; how 
on Christmas Day he visited the Carmelite priory and 
saw for the first time a great crowd of poor waiting 
for their dole; how on the following day he left his 
shoes in the crib that stood in the Carmelite church, 
begging that they might be sold in order to buy sabots 
for the poor children of the city — all this has been told. 
But what became of Olaf ’s shoes after he had placed 
them close to the manger? 

For on that day of the holy martyr Stephen when 
the Prince had made the sacrifice of them to the sweet 
Child J esus, they had at once been placed in the hands 
of the Father Prior. And as the winter was an ex- 
ceptionally severe one, though the day was a festival 
and every shop in the city was closed, the Prior sent 
for the silversmith, begging him for love of the Holy 
Child to come to the priory in order to value the work 
of his own hands, and if possible to dispose of it in 
order that Prince Olaf ’s wish should be carried out as 
speedily as might be. 


36 


JOEL THE SILVERSMITH 


37 


Sad to say, the silversmith, whose name was Joel, 
though a consummate artist was a bad man. He went 
to the priory and at once began to point out to the 
Prior that the value of such articles as silver shoes was 
exceedingly small. Who except the Prince would care 
to have them? he asked. How few hoys in the entire 
kingdom would either wish or dare to be shod with 
silver? He would offer his Eeverence the Prior a 
fair price for them, he said, but they were worth only 
the value of the metal. He would have to melt them 
down, for in their present shape they would stand un- 
sold in his shop forever. 

Now all this seemed very reasonable to the Prior, 
who was a simple godly man, with small knowledge of 
precious metals, other than the gold of the chalice and 
paten he handled at Holy Mass. Yet even he ventured 
to point out to Joel that the shoes were heavy and 
solid, and that having been fashioned by the court sil- 
versmith for the King’s own son, it was reasonable to 
suppose that they were made of the best and purest 
silver obtainable, and that such a weight of metal was 
in itself worth a considerable sum. 

If the Prior had been observant he would have no- 
ticed that his words caused the silversmith to look em- 
barrassed and confused ; for as a matter of fact, though 
Joel had used the very best silver for the upper parts 


38 


JOEL THE SILVERSMITH 


of the shoes, the thick soles and heels were of quite 
inferior metal. Yet he had declared to the King that 
the finest quality of silver had been used for every 
portion of the work, and had charged accordingly. 

Joel saw that he must be very careful. The King 
and the Prior were friends, and it was quite certain 
that his Majesty had permitted his son to give away 
the shoes. It was possible that the King would enquire 
at what price they had been sold : it seemed quite cer- 
tain that the young Prince would ask how many pairs 
of sabots had been bought with the money. To run 
down the quality of his own material was impossible ; 
yet to buy back the articles as though every ounce of 
them was of the finest quality of silver would be 
ruinous. Still anything would be better than risking 
the royal displeasure, or rousing the suspicions of the 
Prior. 

‘ ‘It is necessary that I should make a close and care- 
ful calculation, ’ ’ said the wily Joel, “so I pray your 
Reverence to give me time. My bookkeeper is away 
during these days, and I cannot now remember the 
price the King paid me for the shoes. Not for the 
world would I cheat the poor, and I certainly think 
you may venture to order — say a thousand pairs of 
sabots.” 

4 ‘That I have already done,” said the Prior, “and 


JOEL THE SILVERSMITH 


39 


indeed much more, for, as I told the Prince, the price of 
the silver will provide much more than wooden shoes : 
I hope to get warm clothing for my poor, sheepskins, 
and leather jerkins, and thick hose.” 

J oel ’s face fell, and this time the Prior noticed it. 

“You have already ordered these things, Father 
Prior?” 

“Certainly,” answered the Prior. 

“Ah, that is a pity: I could have bought them for 
you at a cheaper rate than your Reverence can buy 
them. ’ 9 

Joel could not conceal his disappointment. He had 
thought that even if he had to give a fair price for the 
silver shoes, by making a contract with the Prior for 
the sabots he could get a profit big enough to recover 
his loss upon the silver. He had already determined 
to buy up all the wooden shoes in the city and to put 
his own price upon them. And here this stupid Father 
Prior had, consciously or unconsciously, checkmated 
him! 

“You see, Father Prior,” said Joel, pointing to a 
small dint in one of the shoes, ‘ ‘ though the Prince wore 
them for little more than a day he has damaged them 
seriously. Even if some young nobleman wished to 
have them, I could not sell them as new goods. But of 
course, it is most unlikely that anybody will ever buy 


40 


JOEL THE SILVERSMITH 


them. If his Highness had worn them for a longer 
time they might have become the fashion, at any rate 
for boys of rich parents : as it is, no one will ever know 
that the Prince has worn them.” 

4 ‘I do not expect you to give me the price the King 
paid for them,” said the Prior gently, 4 4 but I may say 
that his Highness expects that they will fetch a goodly 
sum.” 

Joel felt that he was caught. It was quite possible 
the Prior knew exactly what the King had given for 
the articles. What a pest it was when great people 
made friends of religious men ! 

All the same, as the silversmith walked back to the 
shop that was also his dwelling-house, he smiled wick- 
edly as he dwelt upon several very comforting reflec- 
tions. For though he saw that he would be compelled 
to give a big sum for the silver sabots that reposed be- 
neath his fur cloak, he was perfectly certain that he 
would soon be able to sell them at a fancy price. Why, 
he reminded himself with a chuckle, the very fact that 
the Prince had worn them for a day or more greatly 
increased their value. Moreover, not only was his 
Highness much loved, but as soon as the people heard 
the story of his going to the Carmelite church and 
leaving his costly shoes in the crib, there would be a 
great burst of enthusiasm — not only in the city but 


JOEL THE SILVERSMITH 


41 


throughout the country, and all the rich people in the 
land would crowd to his shop if only to gaze upon what 
would certainly have an historical value, if not indeed 
a sacred one. 

4 4 Yes, yes,” muttered Joel to himself as he unlocked 
the door of his shop and proceeded to put the shoes in 
one of his strongest lockers , 4 4 who knows but that some 
day these things will be regarded as precious, perhaps 
even as priceless relics?” 

He laughed scornfully as he spoke, for Joel was one 
of those despicable men who are so in love with vice 
that they deny the possibility of virtue in others. Yet 
he knew that already the people were disposed to speak 
of Prince Olaf as a holy boy, and the incident of 
St. Stephen’s Day would certainly tend to encourage 
their notion of Olaf ’s sanctity. Undoubtedly the day 
would come when these silver shoon would be worth 
their weight in gold. 

4 4 And if I cannot get them out of that silly old Prior 
for thirty gold pieces, I am a fool, ’ ’ mused J oel. 4 4 And 
if I let them leave my shop under three hundred, I am 
a madman . 9 9 

During the whole of that winter Joel’s shop became 
a place of pilgrimage. As he had foreseen, everybody 
wanted to look upon the objects that were not only 


42 


JOEL THE SILVERSMITH 


novel in themselves and of great value, but, through the 
charity of their sometime owner, had provided warm 
clothing and sabots for a thousand shivering children. 
Almost every week a substantial offer for them was 
made to Joel, but he had already put up the price, de- 
claring that they should never leave his shop for less 
than five hundred gold pieces. Had he not been com- 
pelled to give fifty to the Prior? 

Joel was a rich man, one of the richest in the city, 
and he could afford to wait for his price. The longer 
he waited the more valuable would the relic become, 
for in spite of his practical atheism he now looked upon 
the shoes as a relic. Though he could not then foresee 
that the Prince would one day become a Carmelite 
friar, he felt sure that the repute of sanctity would 
always cling to his Highness. Moreover, if Olaf never 
actually became a saint the shoes would always be a 
relic of royalty and objects of historical interest. Poets 
had already sung the Prince’s good deed, and his- 
torians were not likely to overlook it. 

It was in the December following, and on the feast of 
St. Nicholas, that a report spread throughout the city 
that the shop of J oel the silversmith had been robbed, 
and that among the valuables carried off by the thieves 
were the silver shoes that had belonged to Prince 
Olaf. 


JOEL TEE SILVERSMITH 


43 


Already J oel was with the Burgomaster and two of 
his young apprentices had been put in prison on sus- 
picion of collusion with the robbers. Men-at-arms were 
sent to scour the surrounding country: several haunts 
of thieves in the city were raided by officers ; no man, 
woman, or child was permitted to pass out at any of 
the gates without showing what they carried with 
them. The robbery had taken place during the night, 
and the two boy apprentices had been the first to dis- 
cover it. There did not seem to be the smallest reason 
to suspect the lads, except that they had seemed dis- 
tressed and confused when they reported the affair to 
Joel — a master they feared and dreaded. Indeed they 
were boys of good character and behaviour, often 
jeered at by Joel for their piety and their regular at- 
tendance at Mass and Office and Guild-meetings. 

When the prentices were brought up for trial, Joel 
himself announced to the court that, thanks to the dili- 
gence of his son, some of the articles had already been 
found hidden in the chamber where the prisoners slept ; 
and among them the famous silver shoon. They had 
been carefully and cunningly concealed in some old 
rags, he said, and pushed behind a panel of the wain- 
scoting. Joel submitted that nothing was wanting to 
prove the prisoners ’ guilt. When the boys were inter- 
rogated by the Burgomaster they could do nothing but 


44 


JOEL TEE SILVERSMITH 


weep : one of them had just turned twelve and the other 
was barely thirteen. 

Somewhat to Joel’s annoyance, the magistrates did 
not seem disposed to send the case to the Assizes. The 
penalty, of course, was death, and though at that 
period it was too often imposed, the Burgomaster and 
his brother magistrates— of whom Joel was one, 
though he could not sit upon his own case — were men 
who feared God. Eventually the boys were committed 
to the Assizes. 

The Assizes were opened a week before Christmas, 
and the trial lengthened itself out until the feast of 
St. Thomas the Apostle. On that day Joel produced 
a new witness in the shape of a man who was employed 
as an assistant. He swore that he had often heard the 
prisoners talking about the silver shoes, and that the 
younger boy had said they must be about his size and 
would probably fit him perfectly. When the witness 
was asked why he had not appeared at an earlier stage 
of the trial, he replied that he had been on a journey 
for his master to take some goods to the court of Les- 
ser Potamia. 

With anxious and sorrowful faces the judges con- 
sulted together in private. Sadly they admitted to one 
another that the evidence was dead against the lads, 
and that though they mistrusted the silversmith there 


JOEL TEE SILVERSMITH 


45 


was nothing for it but to sum up as fairly as possible 
and then to leave the matter to the jury. Greatly to 
the sorrow of the Chief- Justice, the jury quickly re- 
turned a verdict of guilty. 

In passing sentence of death the Judge could not con- 
trol his tears. “It wants but a few days to the great 
festival of Christmas, ,, he said, “and at such a time I 
should dearly have liked to save this town the spectacle 
of the public execution of two criminals of such tender 
age as is yours. Unhappily, I am compelled to con- 
demn each of you to be taken out of the prison in which 
you are confined and to be hanged by the neck from the 
city gallows until you are dead. And in order to save 
you and others much suffering, I recommend that the 
execution take place not later than the 23d, that is 
within forty-eight hours from now. I trust that the 
good Franciscan friars will be in immediate attend- 
ance upon these poor children, ,, he added, “and that 
between now and the hour of their death they will re- 
ceive every kind of temporal and spiritual succour 
that can be rendered them.” 

Long before the Judge had finished his speech both 
the boys had swooned and were being held in the arms 
of their guards. In that condition they were carried 
back through the weeping crowd to their cells, followed 
by two Capuchin friars. 


46 


JOEL THE SILVERSMITH 


Long before darkness fell upon the city the grief of 
the crowd had turned into anger, and already law- 
abiding folk were feeling anxious. The streets were full 
of men and women, talking in high and threatening 
tones. Curses were showered freely upon Joel the 
silversmith, and it was noticed that he did not dare to 
show himself in the streets or to appear in his shop. 
Fearing that an attack might be made upon him and 
upon his property, he sent a secret messenger to the 
Burgomaster, asking for a special guard of men-at- 
arms. The Burgomaster replied that all the town 
guards were already ordered out, and that in the pres- 
ent unquiet state of the city no men could be spared to 
look after the person or property of an individual citi- 
zen: but he strongly advised Master Joel to remain 
indoors. 

Meanwhile in a dark vault of the city prison the two 
condemned prisoners were receiving all the comfort 
the friars could give them. Though the boys looked 
pale and haggard, they were now very calm, for they 
had already made their confessions and were listening 
attentively to the exhortation of Father Antony. One 
or two torches lit up the corner of the vault in which 
they lay side by side on a heap of fresh straw — not so 
heavily fettered as they had been during the trial, for 
the kind guards who had carried them back to prison 


JOEL THE SILVERSMITH 


47 


soon removed the manacles from their hands, together 
with the iron belts and the gyves which fettered their 
legs. Each now was only chained by a single shackle 
on his right ankle. 

Though the friars intended to do all they could to 
get a free pardon for the boys, and though they knew 
that the Burgomaster had already asked for an au- 
dience with the King, it seemed better not to raise in 
the minds of the children hopes that might never be 
realised. Moreover, the time was so very short; and 
not only did the King always dislike to interfere 
with the course of justice, but he had a habit, some- 
times fatal in its consequences, of putting off his 
petitioners and of temporising until it was too late 
to act. 

So these men of God strove hard to make their poor 
penitents resigned and forgiving, and with a measure 
of success that was truly astonishing. 

“My dear ones,” Father Antony was saying, “I am 
thoroughly convinced of your innocence : nay, I could 
not be more convinced if to assure me of it God sent 
an angel from heaven. Paradise will soon be yours, 
my children; for be certain that Our Lord will not 
leave you long in purgatory. This is your purgatory, 
I truly believe. Don’t you think now you are buying 
eternal happiness cheaply? Just a little more pain 


48 


JOEL THE SILVERSMITH 


and all is over — nothing but unbroken bliss to look 
forward to. Ah, my dear ones, how gladly some men 
would take your place if only they were as young and 
as innocent as you are.” 

“But, Father, I have often been naughty,” said the 
younger boy Fritz , 4 ‘ and it was quite true what the as- 
sistant said about my talking of the shoes. We talked 
of them often — all the prentices did — and it was vain 
of me to say that they would just fit me, though I only 
said it in fun. Of course I never thought of stealing 
them. ’ 9 

“No boy ever did, I am certain,” said the elder lad. 
“Of what use would such curious things be to a pren- 
tice? He could not wear them, and he dare not sell 
them. Everybody in Bonhomy knows whose they were 
and the whole history of them. As for us, Fritz and I, 
though we have seen them we have never so much as 
touched them . 9 9 

“Do not think of them any more,” put in Father 
Paschal. 4 i Think only of the happiness you will soon 
be enjoying. Think of the dear Lord who is coming to 
you at daybreak to-morrow. Both Father Antony 
and I will say Mass here, please God, to-morrow 
and the day after. I must go now and prepare the 
altar . 9 9 

Blessing and embracing the children, Father Paschal 


JOEL THE SILVERSMITH 


49 


left them with his brother friar, who sat by them pray- 
ing and talking in a low, soothing tone of holy things — 
until both the boys fell into a sound, sweet sleep. 

Then did Father Antony whisper a fervent thanks- 
giving, and making the sign of the cross over the 
slumbering lads, went out softly — weeping as he went. 


CHAPTER V 


AN ATTACK AND A FLIGHT 


ny kind of civil disturbance is the thief’s oppor- 



tunity, and one that he never fails to seize. 
Greatly as the mob was incensed against Joel the sil- 
versmith, it is doubtful if they would have become vio- 
lent but for the example and incitement of a few des- 
perate scoundrels who were determined to make capi- 
tal out of the occurrence. 

Soon after nightfall the badly-lighted streets became 
unusually crowded, but when the town-guard began to 
march up and down with lighted torches, most of the 
people retired quietly to their homes. Already strong 
oaken shutters barred with iron covered the one win- 
dow of Joel’s shop, while its thick, nail-studded door 
was strongly secured from within. No lights appeared 
in any upstairs window looking upon the street. 

By seven o’clock the streets had become so empty 
that the men-at-arms were ordered to their quarters. 
Most of the houses were now in darkness. Only from 
an upper window here and there flickered a solitary light. 

To a low quarter of the city, near the river, several 
stalwart watchmen were sent, but it seemed to them 


50 


AN ATTACK AND A FLIGHT 


51 


that this doubtful and dangerous district was quieter 
than usual. The night was a bitterly cold one, and 
when, in the small hours of the morning, the watchmen 
were relieved, they hurried to their homes thanking 
God that the city slept in peace. 

The new watchmen heartily wished that they had 
been given a lighter and a safer beat than this low-ly- 
ing stretch of suburbs near the river; for here were 
few signs of life, saving the occasional splash of oars 
as boat and barge passed on the deep, dark water. All 
experienced a sense of loneliness and uncanniness — 
which seemed to deepen as the night went on, and not 
so much as a solitary horseman gave them greeting. 
There was not a star in the heavens above them ; there 
was not a gleam of light upon the water; the hovels 
they now and then threw the light of their lanterns 
upon were dark as tombs. Longingly they thought of 
the city streets where the houses and shops of the liv- 
ing — living, if sleeping — stood so close together, and 
where ever and anon they would come to a lamp lighted 
before a shrine of Our Blessed Lady or the statue of a 
saint. 

Even the bells of the monasteries, ringing for Matins 
and Lauds, scarcely reached their ears to-night, for a 
strong breeze blew from the river, and the holy sound 
of church chimes was only faintly heard. 


52 


AN ATTACK AND A FLIGHT 


But even as they stood and stamped their feet on the 
snow a sound did reach them, and one that told of 
trouble in the city. It was the great bell of the Cathedral, 
used only on solemn occasions, or as a tocsin of alarm 
in the night. It meant fire or slaughter, perhaps both. 

Hurriedly one watchman called to another through 
the darkness ; hurriedly they met and consulted. City- 
ward they strained their eyes, but they could see no 
signs of fire. But then, not only did a great stretch of 
waste land intervene between them and the city, but 
meadows and gardens and orchards, some of them 
thick as a forest with trees. 

In a few moments every member of the little band of 
suburban watchmen had met. “Two of you remain 
here, ’ 9 said the sergeant quickly ; ‘ 4 the rest of us must 
run to the rescue. The riot, if it be a riot, is likely to be 
in the neighbourhood of Master Joel’s shop. We will 
cut straight across here, for if Pm not mistaken we are 
not far from this end of his pleasure-garden.^ 

The man was right. Leading the way straight across 
the common-land they came to the meadows. Passing 
through these they were in the silversmith’s orchard; 
beyond this was a great garden that led straight up to 
the silversmith’s house and shop. They were not the 
first who had found their way thither that winter’s 
night. 


AN ATTACK AND A FLIGHT 


53 


The purlieus of the river-bank might well be quiet : 
the hovels of doubtful men might well be dark. Hours 
ago a band of desperate villains had crept out of their 
dwellings — one by one and at intervals of time, so as 
not to attract the attention of the watch — and disposed 
themselves in hiding places in the silversmith’s garden. 

Earlier in the evening they had seen the barred door 
and window fronting the street; they would at any 
rate find if the back of the house was thief-proof. 
Moreover, so extensive was the garden of Joel, and so 
high were its side walls, there was much less chance of 
detection if they found an entry at the back. To get 
into the garden nothing was easier. 

But they had confederates in the city streets. For 
years Joel’s shop had fascinated men who, as in these 
days, lived by robbing their neighbours, and it was cer- 
tain that no house in Lamburg contained more market- 
able treasure than did the silversmith’s. Once they 
gained an entry into this storehouse of valuables they 
would stick at nothing. They knew that they were run- 
ning great risks, but they were desperate. Their tools 
were few and rough ; to them the scientific implements 
of the modern burglar were unknown. They had no 
firearms, but their daggers were sharp and deadly. 

To their disgust they found the silversmith’s back 
door as heavy and as strongly barred as the front door. 


54 


AN ATTACK AND A FLIGHT 


It seemed that nothing less than a battering-ram could 
ever force it open. Their only hope was in the win- 
dows. Some of the back premises were low-roofed and 
irregular in form; their plan was to force an entry 
through a first-floor window. In one bedroom case- 
ment a night-lamp burned dimly; every other window 
was dark as the night itself. 

The roof of what seemed to be a brew-house was 
easily mounted, and the leader softly crept from this 
to the eaves of the kitchen. Here to his delight was a 
small window that opened to his first touch. Cau- 
tiously the man entered and flashed his dark lantern 
into every corner ; it contained little besides a bed, but 
both bed and room were empty. He did not know it, of 
course, but it was the sleeping-chamber of the two 
prentice boys who were at that moment lying in prison 
under sentence of death. Almost before he could give 
the signal his accomplices were by his side. He had 
not even used the rope ladder that was twined to his 
waist. 

Already they had made their plans ; each man under- 
stood what he had to do. Two were never to leave 
their leader’s side unless he bade them do so. The rest 
were to remain within call until they received special 
orders. They had reason to believe that Joel slept in 
the shop itself, and it was the shop they would visit 


AN ATTACK AND A FLIGHT 


55 


first. There the three would bind and gag him while 
the rest would deal with any servant or prentice who 
might come to his aid. His wife had long been dead, 
and it was said that his only son had gone on a journey. 

So indeed had Joel himse]f. So had the assistant 
whose evidence at the recent trial had been of such im- 
portance. So had the workmen and apprentices, and 
all the servants except one old woman and a young girl. 

But what affected the robbers most of all was the 
fact that the shop was nearly empty. The few goods 
left behind were almost valueless — a few pewter drink- 
ing-cups and flagons were all they could lay hands on. 
They had been very clever, but Joel had been cleverer 
still. They had come from the river to the back of the 
house ; Joel had gone from the back of his house to the 
river and to the barge that he kept on it. 

Great was the rage of the robbers as they lighted 
various lamps and explored every corner of the shop 
and of the workmen’s apartments — finding nothing 
but signs of a hasty packing-up and departure. 

“At least he shall never come back, the old swine !” 
exclaimed the leader with an oath; “we’ll burn his sty 
to the ground. ’ ’ 

It was the only vengeance they could wreak, and the 
deed was easily done. Plenty of loose litter lay on 
floors and tables — bundles of straw and old packing 


56 


AN ATTACK AND A FLIGHT 


cases were everywhere. To drop a lighted lamp upon 
the floor was all that was necessary. The house and 
shop were old and half built of timber. In less than 
half an hour the place was one big blaze. 

But it is easier to start a fire of that sort than to 
limit its effects, and very soon watchmen were running 
through the streets, rousing the slumbering citizens 
and warning them that their town was in danger. 

Meanwhile, through the darkness of the night JoePs 
barge was being fast rowed down the silent river to the 
sea. He was taking a step that he had long meditated. 
Bonhomy should know him no more. For years his 
fellow-citizens had regarded him with suspicion, and 
it seemed to him that the richer he grew the less he was 
respected. Moreover, popular feeling had been 
against him very notably since the beginning of the trial 
— now, from his point of view, so happily concluded. 
He knew himself to be a murderer, yet hardened in sin 
as he was he did not wish to see his victims done to 
death. That last scene in court had shaken his nerves 
a little, and though he had always hated the two chil- 
drenj he could have wished that they had been a little 
older and riper ere they made fruit for the tree of 
death. 

His reasons for hating the poor lads were to Joel all 
sufficient. He hated all good people, young or old, and 


AN ATTACK AND A FLIGHT 


57 


the piety and innocence of his two apprentices had al- 
ways been most offensive to him. But the chief reason 
for his wishing to get them out of the world was a 
strong suspicion that they had discovered some of what 
he called his trade secrets, but what an honest man 
would have spoken of as base frauds. 

Now, as a matter of fact, they knew none of these 
things. Joel’s methods had been too secretive to be 
discovered by young apprentices who, though their 
guardians — for they were both orphans — had paid 
heavy premiums to have them taught the craft of a 
silversmith, were almost entirely employed in menial 
work, and in fetching and carrying for others. One 
thing they did know, and that was that their master 
was a harsh, cruel man, and one who was never seen 
on his knees, or within the walls of a church — unless 
business compelled him to visit some sacristy or shrine. 

Joel called himself a Christian, but few or none be- 
lieved that he had ever been baptised. He would pre- 
tend that his health made it necessary that he should 
get out of the city on all Sundays and holydays, and 
that it was his habit to row up the river and to hear 
Mass at one or other of the many churches that lay on 
either side its hanks. That he was fond of the river 
was a fact, or that early on Sunday mornings he would 
step on board his fine big barge, was not disputed. 


58 


AN ATTACK AND A FLIGHT 


To-night it was doing him good service, this same 
barge with its state cabin hung about with crimson vel- 
vet, its well-cushioned divans, its storerooms for food 
and wine, and its ample accommodation for all the per- 
sons of his shop and household he wished to retain. 
Heavy with wine, he would have slept if he could have 
done so, but he could not sleep; for if he fell into a 
slight doze anxiety and frightening dreams soon awoke 
him. Being without faith in God, he was of course a 
prey to every kind of superstition. 

Yet within this velvet- wrapped cabin with its silver 
lamp hanging from the ceiling, and the regular splash 
of the oars, almost the only sound that reached him, 
everything seemed peculiarly favourable for deep and 
refreshing sleep. Only the half-regarded sound of the 
oars falling into the water — yet surely there was an- 
other sound, and to the guilty man who lay on his 
couch wrapped up to the chin in thick furs, the sound 
was a menacing one. It was only the noise of the 
night-wind blowing across the river, but to Joel it 
sounded like a human cry, the despairing cry of a child 
that is doomed to death. 

Other anxieties weighed upon him. In the sluggish 
river sailing was smooth and easy; but what would it 
be at the dawn when he hoped to be on board the vessel 
that would carry him to Lesser Potamia? He had al- 


AN ATTACK AND A FLIGHT 


59 


ways dreaded the Milky Sea in winter, for though noth- 
ing could be pleasanter than its white waters sparkling 
under the summer sun, at this time of the year sud- 
den squalls of wind would break upon it with alarm- 
ing fury, and many a little sailing vessel went down 
into its depths. Surely the wind was rising rapidly, 
he thought. By the time he reached the sea a gale 
would be blowing ! Yet sail he must. With such a cargo 
as his he dare not remain in port. Moreover, he had 
pledged himself to be at the court of Queen Marabout 
on Christmas Eve. 

Pouring out another goblet of wine, he reminded 
himself that, after all, the journey was a very short 
one, and that once he was safely landed in Lesser Po- 
tamia he had nothing to fear. He would have to do 
with a young Queen, a lady of wealth and of taste. No 
longer would he be a mere silversmith working in his 
shop with one or two assistants, but he would be the 
court goldsmith and Master of the Royal Mint. All his 
life he had aspired to a part of this kind, but though in 
Bonhomy he had been the King’s silversmith by ap- 
pointment, he had never lived at court, nor had he ever 
been allowed to deal with the mint. The King had his 
own goldsmith; he, Joel, was but a silversmith living 
in the city. Yet gold was the metal he loved su- 
premely : it was also the metal he delighted to work in. 


60 


AN ATTACK AND A FLIGHT 


In truth he was a skilled worker in any kind of metal, 
and an excellent judge of precious stones. Joel 
was a first-rate goldsmith — and an excessively wicked 
man. 

He had need to be anxious about the voyage, short 
as it was, for though he had already transferred to 
Lesser Potamia several big cargoes of valuable goods, 
including most of his gold and silverware, the more 
precious jewelry that was never displayed in the shop, 
and various other articles of price, including the silver 
shoes, were now on board the barge. He himself as he 
lay there muffled in furs was lined with diamonds and 
rubies, with opals and pearls. 

Several times during the past two years Queen Mar- 
about had visited his shop, and though she had at first 
called herself the Duchess of Bohemia, Joel soon dis- 
covered with whom he was dealing. So in an inner 
room he had shown her Majesty wonderful jewels that 
rarely saw the light of day, and fascinated her almost 
as much by his display of knowledge as by his costly 
wares. Large sums of money she had already paid 
him when she proposed that he should come to her 
court and remain there ; a little to her surprise he had 
immediately consented. A good deal to his surprise, 
Queen Marabout never called upon the King and 
Queen of Bonhomy; there were reasons of state why 


AN ATTACK AND A FLIGHT 


61 


she should preserve her incognito, her Majesty ex- 
plained. 

Not from Queen Marabouts lips did Joel hear that 
she was going to marry the young King of Great Po- 
tamia, but JoePs son heard it from one of the ladies- 
in-waiting — who had to wait so long in the shop while 
their royal mistress was engaged within that, after a 
time, they condescended to a little gossip with the 
young man. 

‘ 4 Think of that, my lad ! 9 9 chuckled J oel when he 
heard the news. “I shall be the leading goldsmith in 
Great and Lesser Potamia, for after the marriage the 
two kingdoms are sure to be united. The sooner we ’re 
out of this petty little country the better.” 


CHAPTER VI 

THE KING'S PETITIONERS 

fTlHE city of Lamberg was not doomed to destruction, 
* for though Joel's shop was burned to the ground, 
and the houses on either side of it were much damaged, 
the people worked with such a will to keep the fire from 
spreading that when the winter dawn began to break 
the flames were entirely subdued ; for a thaw had set in 
just before daybreak and at eight o'clock heavy rain 
began to fall. 

Excitement in the city was now greater than ever. 
Everybody was discussing the fate of Joel and his 
son, and the executions of the morrow. Could there be 
any connection between these events? people asked 
one another. Was anything being done for the two 
lads ? Had the King been appealed to ? 

The King was being appealed to at that very mo- 
ment ; or rather there were three persons already at the 
castle, two of them waiting patiently enough for an 
audience, and one of them giving vent to every sort of 
impatient word and gesture. 

“It is perfectly disgusting," the Burgomaster was 
saying to the two friars, “that a man in good health 


THE KING’S PETITIONERS 


63 


should be in bed at such an hour as this. I don’t sup- 
pose those lackeys have given him one message yet. 
And when he rises he’ll take one whole hour to dress 
and another for eating and drinking. Reverend 
Fathers, you must excuse me, but I really cannot wait 
here all day. I have my business to attend to. Pray 
tell his Majesty that I will call later in the morning. 
You can plead the cause of your penitents much better 
than I can. But don’t forget to tell him of Joel’s flight, 
or of the excited state of the populace.” 

Still grumbling the Burgomaster took his leave, and 
the friars began to say their Hours. 

It was a fact that the King was a very lazy man. 
Everything happened that the Burgomaster had pre- 
dicted. More than two hours passed before the King 
summoned the friars to his presence. His Majesty 
listened so placidly to their appeal that they were afraid 
he might fall asleep before they had finished speaking ; 
several times he yawned and closed his eyes, and it was 
not until Father Antony suddenly fell upon his knees 
and began to weep that the King roused himself. 

“ Don’t kneel, Father, don’t! Get up! Can’t hear 
you if you kneel,” said his Majesty, stifling a 
yawn. u It’s good of you to speak for the lads, but we 
can’t do anything, you know. We mustn’t interfere 
with the ends of justice.” 


64 


THE KING’S PETITIONEES 


Father Francis began to speak rapidly and elo- 
quently enough, and though the King again closed his 
eyes he did not nap. 

“ Can’t do it, Father: it’s bad policy. Do it for one 
we shall have to pardon every rogue that’s sentenced,” 
continued his Majesty. “If they’re hanged to-morrow 
they’ll save their souls, I dare say; if we pardon ’em 
they’ll grow up in wickedness and be damned.” 

It was at this point that the Burgomaster was an- 
nounced. When the King found that he had come on the 
same errand his Majesty showed signs of impatience. 

“You at any rate ought to know better,” said the 
King to the Burgomaster. “You know what becomes 
of these young thieves, and you know it’s better they 
should be hanged when they’re young. No, don’t in- 
terrupt. We don’t want to hear any more.” 

But the King had to hear more. 

“If your Majesty wants to see the city sacked, I have 
nothing more to say,” said the Burgomaster. “Last 
night I only prevented an uproar by doubling the town- 
guard and making the men march through the streets 
for hours. These holy Fathers have no doubt informed 
you of Joel’s flight and of the burning of his house? 
Well, your Majesty, if those poor children are hanged 
I will not answer for the safety of the city, or of your 
Majesty’s person.” 


THE KING’S PETITIONERS 


65 


“Tut, tut!” exclaimed the King, “you’re excited, 
man. There is nothing to be afraid of. See us to-mor- 
row. ’ ’ 

“Long before this time to-morrow, your Majesty, 
these poor children will be corpses. They are to be 
hanged at dawn.” 

“Well, well,” said the monarch, “come to the castle 
later in the day. We must think about it. At present 
we see no reason for interfering with the course of 
justice. You people believe the boys are innocent; a 
judge and jury have found them guilty. Now we know 
nothing about the case hut what you tell us ; surely the 
judge and jury are to he trusted?” 

At such length did the Burgomaster explain the cir- 
cumstances — very special and peculiar circumstances 
he rightly maintained — that the King closed his eyes 
and nodded. With difficulty the Burgomaster re- 
strained his anger. As a matter of fact the King was 
not even drowsy. He was disturbed to hear that Joel 
the silversmith had fled. 

“We are going hunting now,” said the King, rising: 
“see us at four o’clock this afternoon.” 

The friars and the Burgomaster were dismissed. 

“I know exactly how it will be,” said the Burgo- 
master angrily as he passed out of the castle with the 
two Fathers. “He won’t be back before four o’clock, 


66 


THE KING’S PETITIONERS 


he knows that very well. And when he is back he ’ll be 
so tired he’ll lie down and fall asleep, and nobody will 
dare to wake him up till dinner-time; after dinner he 
won’t even see the Secretary of State. It is infamous !” 

They had reached the outer gates of the castle, and 
though the friars felt too sad for speech one of them 
was about to make some soothing remark to the Burgo- 
master when, looking up, he saw that the way leading 
to the drawbridge was filled with an expectant crowd. 
Somehow or other it had become known that the friars 
and the Burgomaster had gone to petition the King for 
the lives of the two apprentices. The crowd was 
headed by a band of prentice lads of ages varying 
from twelve to twenty. A great silence fell upon the 
crowd as the three petitioners approached it. 

4 ‘ What news, Reverend Father?” asked a stalwart 
youth, stepping forward cap in hand. 

The sad faces of the friars and the scowling counte- 
nance of the Burgomaster were a sufficient answer. 

A low murmur of indignation rose from the crowd — 
which parted and fell back respectfully as the trio 
passed along. 

“We are to see the King again,” the friars went on 
answering, as they made their way through the throng. 
“Be sure we and the Burgomaster will do all in our 
power for the poor boys.” 


THE KING’S PETITIONERS 


67 


This was all that they felt justified in saying. The 
Burgomaster would say nothing. 

Slowly and sadly the Fathers turned in the direction 
of the town jail. They must visit the condemned. They 
must console as best they could. They must give as- 
surance of eternal happiness if they could give no hope 
of escape from a premature and a violent death. 

With swift strides and muttered imprecations the 
Burgomaster turned toward the Dominican Priory in 
which the King’s youngest son, Prince Olaf, was now 
known as Brother Aquinas. 

“We have only just heard this dreadful news,” the 
Prior was saying to the Burgomaster. “Indeed the 
sub-prior and I were considering whether we should 
tell Brother Aquinas or not. Of course it will give him 
the keenest distress, but if you think his intercession 
with the King his father will avail, he shall be sent to 
the castle at once, and I myself will accompany him.” 

“It is of no use going until late in the afternoon, 
Father Prior,” said the Burgomaster, “the King has 
gone a-hunting. As we passed through the courtyard 
just now we saw his horses standing ready. Whether 
it will be of any use going at four o ’clock, I am not sure. ’ ’ 

“We shall certainly go,” answered the Prior. “If 
any living person can touch the King’s heart, that per- 
son is his youngest son.” 


68 


THE KING’S PETITIONERS 


“I shall be there, Father, and so will the two Fran- 
ciscan chaplains/ ’ said the Burgomaster as he took his 
leave. 

When the Prior told the news to the young novice- 
prince the boy wept bitterly. 

‘ ‘ Oh, Father Prior, ’ ’ he cried , 1 6 the fault seems to be 
all mine. If I hadn’t had those silver shoes nobody 
could ever have been accused of stealing them, could 
they? Surely my father will not let those poor boys 
be hanged! Even if they were guilty it would be 
dreadful to punish them with death; but if they are 
innocent, as so many people say they are, it is too hor- 
rible to think of. Oh, I will not leave my father until 
he has promised to pardon them. If they were exe- 
cuted I should feel like a murderer ; I should never be 
happy again.” 

“My child,” said the Prior solemnly, “you are tak- 
ing a wrong view of the matter. There is no fault on 
your part. It is clear from this and many other things 
that Joel is a scoundrel, and if he had not brought a 
false accusation against the lads in regard to the shoes 
he would probably have charged them with stealing 
something else. For some reason or other he wanted 
to be rid of them, so it seems, and now that he has 
fled the country he feels secure.” 

Many a prayer and penance did Brother Aquinas 


THE KING’S PETITIONERS 


69 


offer up that day ; longingly he looked forward to the 
visit he was to pay to the King his father at sunset 

The rain that had fallen so heavily in the early morn- 
ing ceased long before noon ; but at two o ’clock a thick 
mist drifted up from the river and the December twi- 
light fell early. Soon the streets of the city were filled 
with white fog, through which lamps shone dimly, and 
torches flashed fitfully. 

A sense of unrest seemed to pervade the town, and 
though the crowd in the streets was not great, on all 
hands people were asking themselves what was hap- 
pening, or what was going to happen. 

At the hour of Vespers the churches were unusually 
full, and though many joined devoutly in singing the 
antiphon of the day, 4 ‘ 0 King of the Gentiles, yea, and 
Desire thereof,” many thought of the ‘ 4 Great 0” of a 
preceding day: “0 King of David, and Sceptre of the 
house of Israel; That openest and no man shutteth; 
and shuttest and no man openeth: come to bring out 
the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in 
darkness, and in the shadow of death.” 

In their private prayers when Vespers were over 
many a holy man and devout woman added this anti- 
phon to their petitions for the condemned boys. 

Night fell and the fog thickened ere people left the 


70 


THE KING’S PETITIONEES 


church. But no sooner did they reach the narrow 
streets than they were aware of a strange stir in the 
city — a hurried movement of the crowd in one direction 
— a clamour of many voices — finally a great shout of 
joy. 

“They’re free! They’re free!” was the cry that 
now passed from street to street. Cheer upon cheer 
rose upon the foggy air. A thousand questions were 
asked, and all were answered by the words, 4 4 They ’re 
free! They’re free! Hurrah! No gallows for 
bairns ! ’ ’ 

But an hour later a man who was hurrying posthaste 
from the castle, a burly man who was not immediately 
recognised by the crowd, heard these strange words, 
and stopping the first group of men he met demanded 
to know the meaning of all this rejoicing. It was the 
Burgomaster, who had just left the King’s antecham- 
ber, after waiting there since four o’clock in company 
with the Dominican Prior and the two Capuchin friars. 
The novice-prince had been sent for by the Queen his 
mother. The King was said to be in consultation with 
one of his ministers. Time was passing all too 
quickly, and at length the impetuous Burgomaster, 
thinking that he heard an unusual clamour outside the 
castle, left the antechamber hastily and without an 
attendant. 


THE KING’S PETITIONEES 


71 


No sooner had he put his question to the group than 
he was recognised. 

“It’s the Burgomaster !’ ’ exclaimed one of the men, 
and immediately took to his heels, followed by his com- 
rades. The fog instantly swallowed them up, and the 
Burgomaster stood helpless and raging. 

“Saving my duty to the King and to the people / 9 he 
growled to himself, “I could almost say that I’m glad. 
Bah ! but I am glad. ’ ’ He laughed bitterly and harshly 
as he turned his steps back to the castle. He quite un- 
derstood what had happened. Thinking that he, the 
Burgomaster, was safe at the castle, and knowing that 
his Majesty had a habit of keeping petitioners waiting 
until it was too late for them to act, the mob had got 
into the city prison and given the hoys their liberty. 

‘ 4 Saving my duty I cannot regret it, ’ ’ he said to him- 
self as he regained the castle entrance. “And at this 
moment my duty is clear. I am in attendance upon his 
Majesty. Moreover, I know nothing of the matter — 
officially. Before I leave the castle no doubt one of my 
men will come to me. Anyhow, nothing can be done. 
The lads are miles away by this time, I warrant.” 

Though several could have made an excellent guess, 
not a soul in the city knew exactly where the two chil- 
dren were. Under cover of the fog they had been car- 
ried down to the water-side and put into a boat which, 


72 


TEE KING’S PETITIONEES 


rowed by four stalwart young men, bad shot up the 
river at a rapid pace. They were making for an Abbey 
which had the privilege of sanctuary; once within its 
walls the boys could not be retaken. 

Just as the Burgomaster reached the antechamber, a 
lord-in-waiting entered with a message from the King. 
The message was to the effect that his Majesty was 
greatly fatigued ; that business of state would keep him 
engaged until a late hour ; that in the circumstances he 
could not think of detaining the Beverend Fathers and 
his honour the Burgomaster. In short, the petitioners 
were dismissed. 

The Burgomaster bowed, low-grinding his teeth 
the while. 

The Capuchin friars bowed and turned away without 
a word. 

The Dominican Prior bowed and said: “I am in at- 
tendance upon Prince Olaf, now Brother Aquinas. I 
shall take the liberty of remaining here until his High- 
ness is ready to return to the Priory.” 

The lord-in-waiting bowed profoundly and withdrew. 

“Listen, Beverend Fathers,” began the Burgomas- 
ter, turning to the friars with a strange smile. “The 
birds have flown! The snare is broken and they are 
delivered. While we have been dancing attendance 


THE KING’S PETITIONERS 


73 


upon the King the people have taken the matter into 
their own hands.’ ’ 

“Deo Gratias!” was the exclamation that escaped 
simultaneously from three pairs of lips. 

“Deo Gratias!” was the broken cry of the novice- 
prince, who at that very moment returned to the ante- 
chamber — bathed in tears. 


CHAPTER VII 


THE KING OF GREAT POTAMIA 

T X Te have already said that the Kingdom of Great 
* * Potamia was an important one. Many times 
bigger than Bonhomy and Lesser Potamia put together, 
though it was only one of the states which in these 
times form part of a large empire, it was of consider- 
able extent, rich in all natural resources, and possessed 
of an army and an exchequer commensurate with its 
dignity. 

Its young King Hermann was a boy of great promise. 
Though far from being faultless he had reached his 
fifteenth year without showing any vicious tendencies, 
while his affectionate devotedness to his mother was 
an example to every boy and girl in the land. “I obey 
God and my mother,” was his watchword, and certainly 
in this royal lady he had a wise and a holy mentor. 
She was the eldest daughter of the King of Bonhomy 
and had lost her husband in the second year of their 
married life. 

Though Hermann had long ago succeeded he was not 
yet crowned ; at his own earnest entreaty the ceremony 
had been put off until he reached his sixteenth year. 

74 


THE KING OF GREAT POTAMIA 


75 


Meanwhile he was showing a keen and intelligent inter- 
est in state affairs, and greatly endearing himself to 
his counsellors by his willingness in listening to advice, 
and his readiness to study difficult questions of home 
and foreign policy. 

Now in Great Potamia there were several political 
parties — one of which was constantly clamouring for 
the annexation of Lesser Potamia and Bonhomy. An- 
other and a powerful party opposed this notion, declar- 
ing that Great Potamia was quite big enough for one 
king to govern, and that if ever Bonhomy and Lesser 
Potamia were added to it, discord would immediately 
be lord of all. The boy-king listened to both parties 
and held his peace. 

Tall, well-made, keen-eyed, Hermann looked every 
inch the king and the soldier. A splendid horseman, 
a bold hunter, and at this time as well skilled in the 
use of weapons of war as of those of sport, he was 
loved by his people and worshipped by those who were 
near his person. 

4 ‘If his Majesty never forgets that he is a king, he 
always remembers that he is but a boy, ’ ’ often said the 
Cardinal- Archbishop, who was one of his guardians. 
“I doubt if he will ever remember to use the first per- 
son plural : with him it is always I; never we. May he 
long continue to be the good, pure-hearted lad he un- 


76 


THE KING OF GREAT POTAMIA 


doubtedly is ! And may God long preserve the Queen- 
Mother !” 

As the King had already kept his fifteenth birthday 
the Queen and court were beginning to think about the 
great function of the coronation. His Majesty had 
suggested Christmas as an appropriate feast for such 
a ceremony, but when the Queen reminded him of the 
long journeys many of the guests would have to make, 
and the royal personages who would have to cross the 
sea in order to reach Great Potamia, the King immedi- 
ately declared that no time could be better than the 
Pentecost of the coming year. 

“I shall be six months older then, mother dear. Of 
course I know that even then I shan’t be a man, but 
that can’t be helped, can it?” 

“The good God has made you a king, my darling,” 
she said as she kissed his lips, “and the same good God 
can give to a boy-king the wisdom of a man. Ask Him 
for it daily, my son.” 

The King was silent for a moment and then asked : 
‘ * How often may the Mass of the Holy Ghost be said in 
our chapel?” 

“We will ask the Cardinal, my love,” answered the 
delighted mother. “There are many days upon which 
votive Masses may be said, and of course the Mass of 
the Holy Ghost can be said on any one of them. ’ ’ 


TEE KING OF GREAT POT AMI A 


77 


“Then, mother dear, will yon ask the Dean of the 
Chapel to have this Mass said on all possible days, from 
now until the coronation 1 ’ ’ 

The Cardinal was greatly pleased when he heard of 
this request. 

‘ ‘ Certainly our young King is going the right way to 
work, ’ ’ said his Grace to the Dean of the Royal Chapel. 
“He may never be a saint like his young Uncle Olaf, 
the Dominican, but there is every prospect of his grow- 
ing up a God-fearing and a pious man.” 

“Your Eminence’s mention of Prince Olaf, or 
Brother Aquinas as we must call him now, reminds me 
of a curious item of news I have just received from a 
relative of mine, a chaplain at the court of Lesser Po- 
tamia. He tells me that Queen Marabout has bought 
the famous silver shoes of the Prince, and that she has 
worn them at a court function; though, he adds — if 
your Grace will pardon so frivolous an item of gossip — 
that she got them on with such difficulty, and suffered 
so much when they were on, that she soon had to re- 
tire in order to have them removed.” 

The Cardinal frowned. From all sorts of persons 
his Eminence was constantly hearing stories of Queen 
Marabout, and he was getting a little tired of them. 

‘ i But that is not all , 9 9 went on the chatty Dean, not 
noticing the Cardinal’s face. “She has taken into her 


78 


THE KING OF GREAT POTAMIA 


court the famous silversmith Joel, the maker of these 
renowned shoes, who, they say, fled from Bonhomy in 
the night and is now the court goldsmith of Lesser 
Potamia and Master of the Royal Mint. ,, 

“And why did the man run away from Bonhomy !” 
asked the Cardinal, who was getting interested in the 
matter in spite of himself. 

“ Well, Eminence, it is said that this Joel falsely 
accused his two young prentice boys of stealing the 
silver shoes, and that by dint of bribing the jury and 
getting his underlings to swear falsely, the lads were 
condemned to death. This so incensed the people of 
the city that Joel was in danger and was glad to get 
away under cover of the darkness. Others say that his 
leaving Bonhomy was only a question of time, inas- 
much as he had already accepted the post offered to 
him by Queen Marabout. Anyway Joel is now at the 
court of Lesser Potamia and is already making his in- 
fluence felt among the officials. Indeed they say that 
the Queen refers questions of state to him, and that the 
Lord Chamberlain, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 
and the Prime-Minister are all on the point of resign- 
ing*” 

“I thought, ’ ’ said the Cardinal to himself as he left 
the sacristy, “I thought Queen Marabout was just a 
silly girl, fond of gadding about, too fond of dress, and 


THE KING OF GREAT POTAMIA 


79 


much too fond of having her own way. Alas ! I fear 
she is also mischievous. Foolish folk do much harm — 
sometimes as much harm as do wicked people.” 

The people of Great Potamia were not often inter- 
ested in the doings of Lesser Potamia, but when the 
rumour grew that Queen Marabout was already be- 
trothed to King Hermann, his Majesty’s subjects be- 
gan to listen to gossip concerning the Queen, and to ask 
for news from her kingdom. The Queen-Mother was 
vexed and distressed at the false rumour of her son’s 
betrothal, and caused it to he officially contradicted. 

4 ‘ Silly as Queen Marabout is, ’ ’ reflected the Cardinal 
as he sat down to his writing-table , 1 1 she herself would 
never have been foolish enough to start such a rumour 
as that. I warrant this man Joel is at the bottom of 
it — and for his own ends.” 

But at this time the Cardinal was much occupied. 
Though it wanted nearly six months to the time of the 
coronation, his Eminence knew that half a year was by 
no means too much for the thousand and one prepara- 
tions which had to be made. 

Among many other matters in which the Cardinal had 
to interest himself, the augmentation of the cathedral 
choir, as well as that of the chapel royal, was not the 
least pressing. The Dean had just been telling his 
Eminence that though there was no lack of singing- 


80 


THE KING OF GREAT POTAM1A 


men, at any rate of men who were ready and willing to 
put themselves in training, he did not know where to 
look for boys. So many of the best children of the 
country were at court in one capacity or other. Half 
jokingly the Dean suggested that the King might do 
what Queen Elizabeth of England had always done — 
send a band of men round the country to carry off any 
boy with a good voice they chanced to come across, no 
matter who he was or to what choir he already belonged. 
He believed that Queen Marabout herself had done 
something of this kind, for though her Majesty was by 
no means pious she was very fond of music, and the 
more dramatic it was the better she liked it. In fact, 
like Queen Elizabeth’s choristers, the boys were oftener 
employed on the stage than in the chapel choir. 

But the Cardinal had shaken his head at all this, and 
declared that if they could not get singing-boys by 
legitimate means they would contrive to do without 
them. 

Now that his Eminence sat at his desk quietly think- 
ing the matter out, it occurred to him that though the 
idea of a press-gang for such a purpose was intoler- 
able, it might be a good thing to send one or two picked 
men to the provinces in order to look for promising 
boys whose parents were ready and willing for them to 
enter the King’s service. In Great Potamia the career 


THE KING OF GREAT POTAMIA 


81 


of a singer was an honourable one, and many a boy 
who began by wearing a surplice subsequently wore a 
chasuble. Already most of the lads in the Cathedral 
choir, and several of the children of the chapel royal, 
were tonsured. 

Later that same day when the Cardinal laid his 
schemes before the Queen-Mother it was highly ap- 
proved by her Majesty, and by the King also — both of 
whom were greatly shocked when they heard that 
Queen Elizabeth and Queen Marabout were in the habit 
of “ impressing” boys for singing and acting purposes. 

A day or two later the commission set out. It con- 
sisted of the Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal, who was 
in command, a canon of the cathedral and the sub-pre- 
centor, three page-boys, and three grooms from the 
royal stables. They were to ride from abbey to abbey, 
from priory to priory, and to interview the masters of 
all schools in their quest for choristers. If time per- 
mitted, and particularly if they were unsuccessful in 
their quest, they might ride on to Lesser Potamia and 
Bonhomy — though the Cardinal thought they would 
easily find the required number of boys in their own 
country. 

But the Sub-Dean, a discreet man of mature age, 
held another and a secret commission, and one that he 
did not communicate to his fellow-travellers. He had 


82 


THE KING OF GREAT POTAMIA 


been charged by the Queen to make wherever he went 
diligent enquiries concerning the conduct of Queen 
Marabout, and if possible to make an incognito visit to 
the court of Lesser Potamia. 

So many and so extraordinary were the reports con- 
cerning Queen Marabout that the King’s mother found 
it hard to believe them, and as of course Queen Mara- 
bout would have to be invited to the coronation it was 
important to know if her conduct was as erratic as it 
was said to be. 

It was a fact well known both to the King and to his 
mother, that several noble families of Lesser Potamia 
had withdrawn their boys from Queen Marabout’s 
court, and were already settled in Great Potamia. It 
was said that the lads had been badly treated, and that 
several young pages had not only been severely flogged 
but, by the Queen’s orders, had been kept in irons for 
nearly six months. However, the families of these 
boys had not yet been presented to King Hermann, for 
until after the coronation all but private audiences 
were now suspended. 

The Queen-Mother was anxious not to prejudice her 
son’s mind against the erratic Marabout, for though 
she had long ago decided to encourage him to marry 
early, she had never liked the idea of his being wedded 
to a wife several years older than himself. Still, even 


THE KING OF GREAT POTAMIA 


83 


this objection would not have weighed so much with 
her Majesty if Queen Marabout had been a wise and 
God-fearing woman. No one knew better than the 
King’s mother how advantageous such a union would 
he — to Lesser Potamia. 

So the Sub-Dean and his little retinue rode away 
through the January snow, and everywhere were well 
received and honourably entertained. For in the 
kingdom of Great Potamia religious houses were not 
few or far between: indeed the progress of the Sub- 
Dean would have been slow enough if he had accepted 
all the hospitality that was pressed upon him and his 
attendants. 

It was late in the month of February when the trav- 
ellers found themselves in that part of their country 
which touches upon Lesser Potamia, and as they heard 
that Queen Marabout was about to leave home the 
Sub-Dean decided that they should ride straight 
on to Altberg — a city that lay within easy distance 
of the frontier and where stood the principal royal 
residence. 

Though he had letters from the Dean to a cousin who 
was one of Queen Marabout’s chaplains, the Sub-Dean 
had no intention of putting up at the royal castle, for 
within a mile of it there was a Benedictine abbey with 


84 


THE KING OF GREAT POT AMI A 


a large and famous school for young laymen, as well as 
for clerics. 

It has been said that three pages were in the suite 
of the Sub-Dean. Now the eldest of the three, a lad 
of fifteen, was noted for his skill in playing upon the 
lute, as well as for his singing, and it was at the Queen- 
Mother’s suggestion that Boniface, as he was called, 
joined the roving commission. He was the son of a 
knight who had fallen in battle, and his mother had 
long been dead. Though a great favourite at court and 
much liked by the King, Boniface was a singularly 
quiet and modest lad, never so happy as when he was 
reading or singing or playing his lute. To the cheer- 
fulness of the journey he had contributed much, and 
many a Religious community declared that by the 
music he was wont to give them at recreation time he 
amply repaid their hospitality. The Sub-Dean was 
not a little thankful that Boniface was of the party, for 
he was a pious and a prudent lad and one that could 
be trusted. 

Not greatly caring to call at the castle himself, on the 
morning after their arrival the Sub-Dean gave the 
Dean’s letter to Boniface, telling him to take his lute 
and to stroll up to the castle, where he would be sure 
to find many young pages like himself, and to hand in 
the letters to the Dean’s cousin. 


THE KING OF GREAT POTAMIA 


85 


“Probably they will ask you to dinner,” added the 
Sub-Dean, “if they do you may accept. The Queen 
leaves this very morning, the Prior tells me. If you 
dine with the pages you will be sure to hear some in- 
teresting news, and as you are not a chatterbox you 
will probably let them do most of the talking.” 


CHAPTER VIII 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 

rp hough Joel the silversmith was now attached to 
* Queen Marabout ’s court as Master of the Mint, he 
had no intention of remaining in that capacity. For, 
to his utter disgust, he found there was nothing to 
mint; that the royal exchequer was as low as it could 
be; that the Queen’s debts were enormous; and that 
her Majesty’s ministers were desperate. Moreover, 
one of the Queen’s creditors was Joel himself. 

But he was a rich man, and for certain high stakes 
he was prepared to play a waiting game. He did not 
intend to live and die a mere worker in metal, however 
precious. Already he had the ear of the Queen, and by 
dint of much outrageous flattery, combined with loans 
of money, he had succeeded in gaining her personal re- 
gard. As a matter of fact, though she did not realise 
it, her Majesty was very much in Joel’s power. 

What her Majesty’s ministers thought of all this 
may be imagined. Nothing but a real love for their 
poor little country prevented a wholesale resignation 
of its rulers. Already Joel was the best-hated man in 
Lesser Potamia. From the Prime-Minister down to the 


86 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


87 


youngest horse-boy, every person at or about the court 
loathed Joel. 

Certainly, he told himself, he had made a great mis- 
take in coming to Lesser Potamia, but it was a mistake 
he intended to make somebody pay for. Indeed, after 
a time he was inclined to regard it as a lucky error. 
In Great Potamia, of which for reasons of his own he 
was rather shy, he might not have been able to serve 
royalty in any capacity. King Hermann’s goldsmith 
was a renowned man and a great artist, and certain 
business transactions Joel had had with him were not 
likely to be forgotten in Great Potamia. 

Above all things Joel desired the marriage of Queen 
Marabout with King Hermann. Nothing less than this 
could save her Majesty’s bankruptcy. Little else was 
talked of by her ladies and pages, and though she her- 
self had never spoken of the betrothal, she let it be 
known that between her and the King there was a per- 
fect, if quite secret, understanding. There was a slight 
foundation for this, hut it was a very slight one. As I 
have said, they had met when he was a little child of 
seven and she a girl of ten. 

“ Wouldn’t it be nice if we married some day!” she 
had said to him; “because I shall be a queen and you, 
Hermann, will be a king. And a king ought to marry 
a queen, oughtn’t he!” 


88 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


The little boy had nodded his head. The question 
did not interest him much, but he may have thought 
that if he must marry some day he might just as well 
marry this girl — who, for a girl, could throw a ball 
rather high. This is the whole account of the secret 
understanding between Marabout and Hermann — 
promptly forgotten by the latter until it was revived 
in his mind by one of the ministers of state. 

Even now the question bored his Majesty. He led 
a very active and a very busy life, working hard at 
various languages, hunting whenever it was possible to 
do so, and neglecting no sort of exercise that made for 
skill in war or sport. For the rest, he was devoted to 
his mother, and could not imagine life without her 
love and care and companionship. 

In those times news travelled slowly, and though the 
Queen-Mother had taken care Great Potamia should 
know that the report of the King’s betrothal was pre- 
mature, the folk of Lesser Potamia knew nothing of 
this and went on discussing the marriage as though the 
event were as certain as the coronation. They thought 
that in the course of her many travels Queen Marabout 
had gone to the court of Great Potamia, incognito, and 
that everything had been arranged. Of course the ac- 
tual marriage could not take place for a year or two ; 
still a formal betrothal was a very important matter, 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


89 


and quite a sufficient event to keep the court and the 
populace of Lesser Potamia in a good-tempered mood 
of expectancy. 

Considering that J oel had been at court scarcely two 
months he had not done so badly. Already he had a 
mortgage on most of the Queen’s private property; 
already she had promised to knight him on her return 
home if, during the time she was away, he succeeded in 
doing what he had promised to do for the increase of 
the currency. For too many years paper money had 
almost entirely taken the place of gold and silver, 
though copper was plentiful enough. Now some old 
gold and silver-plate which the Queen thought out of 
fashion, but which Joel knew to be priceless, was to be 
melted down by him and turned into broad gold pieces 
and thick silver dollars. 

Cunningly enough Joel had suggested that the metal 
was really too pure for the purpose and that it might 
well be eked out with gold and silver of an inferior 
quality. With such a suggestion the Queen was so en- 
chanted that if she had not been very busy preparing 
for her departure she would have knighted Joel that 
very day. 

4 ‘ That goldsmith is a perfect old dear,” she said to 
one of her ladies. “By the time we get back we shall 
just be rolling in money.” 


90 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


1 ‘What is the use of having lovely furs and sables 
and things if you don’t put them on and show them to 
people who can’t afford to buy them?” the Queen had 
said. “Pack up at once and let us cross the Milky Sea 
and get to a gayer country than Lesser Potamia. We 
take with us Lady Mauve and Lady Cerise. The page 
will be Master Scarlet.” 

So they started, and as the royal carriage bowled 
down the hill from the castle and turned the corner of 
the lane, the pages lingering at the gates seemed to lose 
their reason, so delighted were they at the departure of 
their royal mistress. And if the Chamberlain, and the 
Secretary of State, and the Master of the Pages, and 
all the other functionaries did not caper and shout, 
they were not less delighted in their hearts. 

“Poor Scarlet!” one after another ejaculated, 
“poor — old — chap! What a time he’ll have! And the 
ladies ! 0 poor things ! ’ ’ 

‘ 6 Why do you say ‘ poor things ’ f ” 

The pages looked round in astonishment, for though 
the voice was clear and pleasant the speaker was a per- 
fect stranger to the group of pages that stood on the 
drawbridge of the castle. Fresh and clear too was the 
questioner’s face, though his cloak and hood were of 
coarse material and his feet were encased in wooden 
shoes. Boniface had left his best clothes at the abbey. 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


91 


“What’s it got to do with you?” enquired the page 
Green, looking hard at the boy-stranger. 

“Hello! who’s the yokel?” asked Purple, turning 
on his heel. 4 4 What does he want ? ’ ’ 

“Looks like a troubadour’s apprentice, doesn’t he?” 
remarked the Yellow page, examining the lad from 
head to foot. 

“Yes, I bet he’s a minstrel,” said Crimson, who was 
a good-natured fellow, and had a face as red as his 
costume. 4 4 1 say, sirrah, can you tip us a tune ? ’ ’ 

4 4 With pleasure, sir,” answered the young minstrel, 
drawing a lute from beneath the folds of his cloak. 

4 4 Oh, but don’t let us stand shivering here,” cried 
Blue; 4 4 the seneschal will pass him in all right, and 
we ’re sure to get a holiday to-day. ’ ’ 

4 4 Come on, young troubadour,” shouted the laugh- 
ing Crimson, 4 4 come and warm your toes and fingers at 
our fire. ’ ’ 

Merrier now than ever, the pages led the newcomer 
through the barbicon past the guardroom, and across 
the first courtyard to a chamber on the ground-floor of 
the northeastern tower. 

4 4 You ’re just the kind of chap we wanted to see,” 
exclaimed Crimson, stirring up the big blazing logs on 
the hearth with a broken spear. 4 4 But, I say, have you 
had any breakfast?” 


92 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


“I thank yon, sir,” answered the young stranger 
with a courtesy that made the hoys look at him curi- 
ously, “but I have breakfasted very well.” 

“Sure you won’t have a cup of mulled wine?” asked 
Purple. 

“Nothing, I thank you,” was the reply as the 
speaker threw back his cloak and hood and showed that 
his doublet and hose were of thick leather. In another 
moment the lute was tinkling prettily enough. The 
gaily-clad group of pages were listening open-mouthed. 

Bright and beautiful they loom, 

Plum and peach and cherry bloom : 
Bird-plumes brighter far of hue 
Than ever fruit your garden grew. 

Sweet the cherry ripe and red, 

And the berry in its bed : 

Never so divinely sweet 
As the hymns our birds repeat. 

Fair the shining golden grain 
As sunlight o ’er the eastern main : 

Never yet was grain more fair 
Than God’s poets of the air. 

“Well, now,” laughed young Crimson, “that’s short 
enough and sweet enough. But I say, young man, it’s 
a jolly good thing the Queen’s out of hearing.” 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


93 


The band of pages laughed prodigiously. 

“Yes, sirrah,’ ’ said Purple. “If ever you sing in 
her Majesty’s presence don’t you select that little 
ditty. ’ ’ 

“And why not, sir?” enquired the minstrel with a 
smile. 

“Why,” put in Yellow, “because you’d find yourself 
hanging by your wrists, or perhaps your heels, from 
that little cross-beam outside there. ’ ’ 

“But it’s a song that all ladies love!” exclaimed the 
singer. 

‘ 4 That may be ; but there is a particular reason why 
it should not be sung in Lesser Potamia,” explained 
Green. 

“However,” put in Blue, “her Majesty won’t be 
back in Lesser Potamia for months, so we needn’t talk 
about that. ’ ’ 

‘ 4 Give us a nice long ballad, Master Minstrel, ’ ’ said 
Crimson, ‘ 1 something, you know, with a tail to it, or a 
tale in it. ’ ’ 

“Yes,” shouted several boys, “a ballad with a tale 
in it.” 

“You shall have one, gentleman,” said the singer, re- 
moving his wooden shoes, while the good-natured Crim- 
son placed a heap of fresh straw under the stranger’s 
leather-stockinged feet. Then he began to sing : 


94 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


Vender Veren, a Flemish lord 

Of power and wealth, nay more — of taste, 

Could fitly and right well afford, 

With never a risk of prodigal waste, 

To invite an Emperor to his board. 

4 4 My liege loves sights that are fair,” he said, 

4 4 My pensioners many I ’ll all array 
In richest damask.” — So all who fed 
At his table received, on a certain day, 

So many ells of damask per head. 

There were poets and painters within those walls, 
Philosophers, chemists, and linguists too ; 

Genius lolled in the lordly halls, 

And Mabuse was the chief of the artist crew, 

A painter of might, and — a leader of brawls. 

A leader of brawls and a lover of wine, 

A spendthrift lacking of coin and sense, 

Who, to the tailor with measuring line 

Cried — 4 4 Leave me the damask, and get you hence ! 
No tailor my costume shall design.” 

Then the painter took the fabric fair, 

Sold it for wine and drank the same ; 

Then — for he needs his part must hear 
In the grand cortege when the Emperor came — 

He did what talent alone could dare. 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


95 


Sheets of paper he took and made — 

And painted , a beauteous damask robe; 
Quoth he , 4 4 The colour ’ll not soon fade, 

But J trust no fool with his foot will probe 
Its hem, in the crush of the cavalcade ! ’ ’ 

Charles the Fifth, good-humoured and fat, 
Delightedly stood the train to view ; 

Anon at the banquet his Greatness sat 
And, anon, Mabuse to the table drew 
To offer the choice of this or that. 

(Unmeet, you say, for a Child of Art 
To be at the beck of host or guest? — 

Unmeet enough ; yet if at the mart 

The art be sold — well the buyer’s ’hest 
Must needs be done on the seller’s part.) 

Mabuse bore trencher, flagon and flask, 

Serving awhile on bended knee 
Whatever majesty deigned to ask : 

But when the Emperor fain would see, 

And touch , what he deemed the tailor’s task — 

Why the artist shook in his silken shoes : 

“Alack, and alack, I am all undone! 

To see through the robe — as well as the ruse — 
Is easy as anything under the sun, ’ ’ — 
Thought to himself the rogue Mabuse. 


96 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


To the Emperor’s host, in the interim, 

An envious tongue had told the trick ; 

And now as the tale an ear of him 
The royal guest of a day did prick, — 

The trickster shook in every limb. 

But a smile spread over the royal face, 

As the artist made his meek replies 
To questions asked with a kingly grace, 

And laughter lighted imperial eyes 
As Mabuse returned to his serving place. 

And Vander Veren forgot the blot 
On the fame of an artist of such repute, 

Forgave this fondness for the pot 
For sake of the wit of the painted suit ; — 

Alas, that the wit should sink to the sot ! 

Time came when from the law to flee 
This brawling artist vainly tried ; 

And never again do we find him free, 

For, painting in prison, the painter died 
In fifteen hundred and thirty- three. 

When Boniface had finished, the pages showed their 
approval in various expressive ways. 

4 ‘ That ’s the sort of ballad I like , 9 9 said Crimson. ‘ 4 A 
chap like that Mabuse is sure to come to a bad end.” 
“He was a good painter, though,” remarked Yellow. 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


97 


4 4 The Queen has got one of his pictures hanging in her 
with-drawing-room. ’ ’ 

4 4 Reminds me of that old skulk, Joel,” suggested 
Purple. 

The chorus protested. 

4 4 Not a bit of it,” said Crimson. 4 4 Mabuse was just 
a weak silly tippler. Joel is — well, you know.” 

4 4 Yes, we know,” answered the chorus. 

44 I don’t think he’s a man at all,” declared Master 
Blue. 4 4 Isn’t there some story of a knave who got 
taken into some castle as a servant, and he turned out 
not to be a man at all ? ” 

4 4 What was he?” enquired two or three, while one 
small boy said, 4 4 Perhaps he was a woman?” 

4 4 No, he wasn’t. Nor was he an angel: at any rate, 
not of the right sort.” 

4 4 You don’t mean to say he was a devil?” asked 
Yellow. 

4 4 Course he was, but I forget how they found it out. 
Doesn’t somebody remember the story? Master Min- 
strel, do you know the tale?” 

4 4 Yes, I know it. In fact I have a little ballad on it 
if I can only call it to mind.” 

4 4 Hurrah!” shouted several boys, while Crimson 
added, 4 4 Bravo! You’re the fellow for us: a trouba- 
dour of the right sort.” 


98 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


Boniface was fingering his lute and playing a 
strange weird melody which, Yellow declared in a loud 
whisper, made him feel quite creepy. 

“It is called ‘The Knight’s Ave,’ ” said Boniface, 
speaking as he played. Then he began to sing : 

In castle-walls a robber-knight 
Held men-at-arms to thieve and fight : 

For rapine and dark crimes of blood 
Dreaded by all that neighbourhood. 

Came by that place upon a day 
A holy priest in habit grey, 

And as he neared the castle grim 
A robber- groom rushed out on him. 

‘ ‘ Take all I bear, ’ 9 the pilgrim said, 

‘ ‘ ’Tis but a loaf of barley-bread ; 

But bring me quickly to your lord : 

For his soul’s weal I’d speak a word.” 

The caitiff led the stranger in 
Where sat at board the Knight of Sin : 

“Sir Knight,” the pilgrim said, “I bear 
A secret it behoves you hear. 

“But first call in your robber-band 
And let them all in order stand.” 

Summoned was every man and boy 
In that bad master’s base employ. 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


99 


“All are not here,” the pilgrim cried, 

As one by one on every side 
He scanned them — even to the least : 

“One man is missing,” urged the priest. 

‘ ‘ I know who ’tis, ’ 9 spoke up a page, 

A saucy lad of tender age ; 

‘ ‘ The chamberlain ran off to bed, 

Hoping to hide his ugly head.” 

Forthwith was bidden to appear 
The varlet every page did fear ; 

Soon stood within the castle hall 
A wretch whose features did appal. 

Stern spoke the priest : “ I thee conjure 
By Christ and His own Mother pure, 

Tell us who art thou, and from whence? 
Why art thou here ? and then — go hence ! ’ 9 

Trembling, the chamberlain replied : 

4 4 Alas ! myself I may not hide ! 

No man am I, but — must I tell? — 

I am a devil sent from hell! 

1 * My master, Satan, bade me come 
To watch yon Knight within his home 
To ’wait the coming of a day 
When Ave he’d no longer say. 


100 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


4 4 Then with my hands on throat and neck 
To strangle him, his soul to wreck, 

And bear him to his doom most fit 
Deep down into the fiery pit. 

4 4 But woe is me! for day by day 
Hail Mary doth he ever say, 

And I am powerless ’gainst the charms 
Of her who held God in her arms. ’ 9 

The pilgrim answered, 4 4 Wicked sprite! 

Back to thy home in lasting night ! 

Hence, and for ever, to thy place ! 

This soul through Mary hath found grace .’ 9 

The Knight in contrite tears did melt, 

As prostrate ’fore the priest he knelt; 

Fell on the band a wondrous awe, 

Gladsome the sight the angels saw. 

As Boniface ceased singing several of the pages 
crossed themselves. Most of them were too awed to 
say anything. 

44 That’s Joel all over,” at length whispered Purple 
to Yellow. 

Yellow nodded. 

4 4 Well, if that chamberlain was a devil I am sure 
Joel’s one!” exclaimed Green. 

4 4 Glad he’s not our chamberlain,” laughed Crimson. 


PAGE AND MINSTREL 


101 


“And that reminds me to go and ask for the chap- 
lain you want to see. You have letters for him, I think 
you said?” 

Boniface now had the letters in his hand. 

“If his Reverence is busy perhaps you would hand 
them to him?” suggested Boniface. He felt that Crim- 
son was a boy to be trusted. 

“Yes, of course,” said Crimson, taking the letters 
and leaving the tower at a rush — at such a rush indeed 
that he ran plump into the arms of a man who was just 
outside the door, and who might or might not have 
been listening to the ballad of the Knight’s Ave. 

The man was Joel the silversmith. 

“Gently, Master Crimson,” began Joel with a leer, 
as he dexterously snatched the letters from the lad’s 
hand. “You have despatches for me, I notice.” 

“They are not for you,” shouted Crimson hotly, 
“they are for Father Jerome.” 

Suddenly a trumpet pealed through the courtyard. 
It was the signal for dinner. Joel threw the packet 
back to the boy just as the pages rushed, a noisy and 
disorderly band, into the quadrangle, on their way to 
the great dining-hall. 


CHAPTER IX 


MERCHANTS AT COURT 

rilHREE days later the Sub-Dean and his retinue left 
A Lesser Potamia and the abbey in which they had 
been so hospitably entertained. They had intended to 
journey home by a different route, but so successful 
had they been in their quest for singing-hoys, particu- 
larly at the big cloister-school they had just left, that 
they determined to take the way by which they had 
come. 

The Sub-Dean and his companions had good reason 
to be pleased with the results of their travels. Besides 
having obtained a larger number of choristers than 
they had hoped for, they had heard a great deal about 
Queen Marabout and Lesser Potamia, much more in- 
deed than they could remember, but much also that it 
was of the greatest importance their royal Master and 
Mistress should know. 

Far from being a friend to Religious Orders, Queen 
Marabout subjected them to many and frequent annoy- 
ances and persecutions, taxing them to the utmost of 
their resources, and doing all in her power to curtail 
the privileges bestowed upon them by her ancestors. 


102 


MERCHANTS AT COURT 


103 


Indeed it was known that, but for fear of her long-suf- 
fering subjects, she would long ago have suppressed 
all monasteries and convents in order to confiscate 
their property. But she feared the people, and with 
reason. 

To the abbey which lay so close to her principal resi- 
dence she was in the habit of paying regular visits, 
and though the Abbot would never permit her to come 
into the cloister, she demanded that all the boys of the 
school should be paraded before her from time to time, 
in order that she might pick and choose the most prom- 
ising for her household. The consequence of this was 
that boys of good family were now sent to the abbey 
schools of Great Potamia or Bonhomy, and only or- 
phan or friendless children were to be found in the 
cloister schools of Lesser Potamia. Some of these 
were of good birth and were, of course, anything but 
disinclined to exchange their school for a castle. 

But as Boniface, the King’s page, knew well, there 
were not many of Queen Marabout’s boys who would 
not, very willingly indeed, have exchanged back again. 

“You get more punishment here in a week than the 
monks would give you in a year,” Master Crimson had 
told Boniface; for during the three days the Sub- 
Dean’s party spent in Lesser Potamia, Boniface had 
passed much time at the castle. 


104 


MERCHANTS AT COURT 


“If she wasn’t away so often none of us could stand 
it ; in fact we should all run away. Then the Master of 
the Pages is a very decent sort, and the Lord Chamber- 
lain is downright good to us. But they are always 
threatening to resign. They don’t let us get half the 
floggings and imprisonments and tortures the Queen 
orders us ; yet in spite of that we do get an awful lot 
of punishment, because they can’t always hinder it. 
For she comes round sometimes to see if her orders 
have been carried out, and if they haven’t we get a 
double dose. Why only last week just because I for- 
got to stand in my right place near the throne she or- 
dered me to be hung up by the wrists for an hour ; but 
when the warder was locking the irons on me he no- 
ticed I’d got a big sore on my right wrist, and he said 
I oughtn’t to be hung up. So he told me just to keep 
out of the way for an hour. But the Queen happened 
to pass through the inner courtyard, and when she 
didn’t see me hanging from the cross-beam there she 
sent for the warder — who told her I’d got a bad hand. 
‘Very well, then,’ she said, ‘hang him up by the 
ankles.’ ” 

“But he didn’t do it, surely?” asked the sympathetic 
Boniface. 

“Oh, but he had to. She waited while they fetched 
me, and then she stood watching while they put the 


MERCHANTS AT COURT 


105 


irons on my heels and hauled me up. It’s a most aw- 
ful torture that; you’ve no idea how bad it is — though 
perhaps you’ve had it yourself f ” 

‘ 4 Oh, no, ’ ’ replied Boniface, smiling gravely , 4 4 we have 
nothing of that sort in Great Potamia. Besides, we never 
get punished just for making mistakes, only for really 
naughty things. If a page takes too much wine, for 
instance, or is very quarrelsome and uses his dagger, 
or does anything that is really wicked, then he may 
get a whipping, or be put in the stocks for an hour or 
two, or be made to go about the castle in shackles for a 
day or so ; but the King won ’ t allow anything like tor- 
ture. Why, even the wooden horse is never used — ex- 
cept to shy stones at.” 

“What lucky fellows you are!” exclaimed Crimson. 
4 4 Why, when the Queen ’s at home our wooden horse has 
always got a boy on its back, with his hands tied behind 
him and a heavy weight hanging from each foot. And 
though we have got four or five pairs of stocks, when 
she’s here they are always full of lads. It makes you 
wish you were back at the abbey again, I can tell you. 
Of course we’re always losing boys; those who are 
noble, and who have fathers and mothers living, sel- 
dom stay very long. I was quite little when I came 
here — my father and mother are dead — and then all 
the boys were noble, but there’s not one of them left. 


106 


MERCHANTS AT COURT 


A lot of new fellows came from the abbey last Christ- 
mas, but they are all orphans. And don’t they just 
wish they were back again! They thought it would 
be so nice to wear silk and velvet instead of a leather 
jerkin and wooden shoes, but they don’t think so 
now. ’ ’ 

Of course it was impossible for the Sub-Dean to leave 
Lesser Potamia with fourteen boys added to his reti- 
nue without the fact becoming known in the neighbour- 
hood and at the royal castle. Joel was one of the first 
to hear of it and to comment upon it. But he had too 
much respect for the powerful and wealthy King of 
Great Potamia to call in question what in his own mind 
he thought a somewhat high-handed proceeding. It 
never occurred to him that the boys were all volun- 
teers, and that the King’s commissioners were not go- 
ing about the world as a press-gang, forcing children 
to accompany them. 

A very cheery, merry party it was that rode — now 
through the country lanes and lonely forests and open 
heaths, now through the narrow streets of some quaint 
old city, halting at some abbey or priory for the night. 
Wherever they went they were heartily welcomed, 
though not everywhere did they get that of which they 
were in search. Naturally enough, the monks were not 
anxious to lose their best scholars, or those who had 


MERCHANTS AT COURT 


107 


a clear vocation to the religious life, and it sometimes 
happened that these were the boys who had the best 
voices and the most practical knowledge of music. 
Still, the Sub-Dean was returning home with nearly 
thirty promising lads, some of whom he was to take 
up on his way back to the court. 

On the last day of his journey home he was to call 
at a Benedictine abbey which stood on the edge of a 
forest some twenty miles from the King’s chief resi- 
dence. It was the first Religious house the questers 
had called at on leaving home, and at its cloister school 
were two boys with such a remarkable history that, af- 
ter it was told to him by the Abbot, the Sub-Dean asked 
for time to consider whether he would accept the lads 
or not. 

“They are both very good boys,” the Abbot had 
said : ‘ 6 indeed I question if we have two better children 
in our school. But it is right you should know that 
both of them have lain in prison under sentence of 
death for theft, and that they were set at liberty by the 
people of Bonhomy who strongly believed in their inno- 
cence. They were sent on to us from one of our houses 
in the kingdom of Bonhomy, an abbey which has the 
old privilege of sanctuary ; and it is certain that since 
we received them their conduct has been in every way 
edifying and good. Moreover, I may say that I have 


108 


MERCHANTS AT COURT 


heard all the particulars of their case, and that I am 
as strongly convinced of their innocence as were the 
people of Bonhomy who released them from prison. 
Yet it is for your Reverence to decide whether you care 
to admit two such boys among the children of your 
choir. Both have pleasant voices, and, though their 
present knowledge of music is not great, both are intel- 
ligent enough to profit by further instruction. ’ ’ 

The two lads were, of course, Joel’s young appren- 
tices, and what the Sub-Dean and his companions had 
heard of Joel in Lesser Potamia did not tend to preju- 
dice them in his favour. In short, after talking the 
matter over the Sub-Dean decided to take the boys to 
court, and to keep them under his own observation 
among the children of the choir of the chapel royal. 

Returning as they did in the month of March, they 
found the preparations for the coronation proceeding 
apace. That year Pentecost fell somewhat early in 
June, and in no department was there too much time 
for everything that had to be done. Already had the 
King’s messengers been despatched to the various 
European courts with letters of invitation to royal per- 
sonages. 

Meanwhile the Sub-Dean had much to report to the 
Queen-Mother concerning Queen Marabout and the 
court of Lesser Potamia. 


MERCHANTS AT COURT 


109 


“This confirms but too well all the rumours that 
have reached me,” said her Majesty when she had 
heard all. ‘ ‘ Such a woman can never be the wife of my 
son. I am almost sorry that an invitation to the coro- 
nation has been sent to her, hut that cannot now he 
helped. It is so sad that she should be in the hands 
of that unscrupulous goldsmith. I trust she will not 
bring him here in her train . 9 9 

Of his page Boniface, the King, knowing that the 
boy had been at the court of Lesser Potamia, asked 
many questions, all of which Boniface answered truth- 
fully enough. Indeed, seeing the King’s face grow 
dark as he listened to the cruelties that were practised 
by Queen Marabout, Boniface ventured to ask his Maj- 
esty if nothing could be done to prevent them, and if, 
supposing the boys at the court of Lesser Potamia 
found their position intolerable, they could be received 
at Great Potamia. 

The King smiled rather sadly as he pointed out to 
his good page how hazardous it was for one sovereign 
to interfere with the conduct of another. 

“It would be very indiscreet to encourage anything 
that had the appearance of a revolt among her Maj- 
esty’s servants, because that might extend to the na- 
tion and be the beginning of much serious political 
trouble. But we promise you, Boniface, that if any of 


110 


MERCHANTS AT COVET 


your friends at the court of Lesser Potamia are 
compelled to throw themselves on our protection, 
we will do all in our power to shield and to help 
them. ’ ’ 

That same week the King’s Chamberlain was in- 
formed that two merchants had arrived at the castle 
with some very curious and valuable wares which they 
would like to exhibit to his lordship, hoping that he 
would bring them under the notice of his Majesty. The 
Lord Chamberlain gave them audience and found that 
they had some old gold plate of striking design, anti- 
quated in form but of great beauty. 

One of the two men looked aged, the other was com- 
paratively young. They said that they were French 
gold-merchants, and that as they had heard of the com- 
ing coronation they had decided to give King Hermann 
the first offer of what they knew to be very rare. It 
had been the property of a royal personage, they 
added, but one whose name they were not at liberty to 
mention. 

The two merchants bore many credential letters, but 
as they looked like men of substance and were well at- 
tended, the Chamberlain did not trouble to examine 
their papers. The golden dishes and cups and flagons 
pleased him, and he strongly recommended the King 


MERCHANTS AT COURT 


111 


to buy them. His Majesty referred the matter to his 
mother. 

Her Majesty was struck with the quaint beauty of 
the plate, but thought the price asked for it much too 
high. Very respectfully the merchants assured the 
Queen that it was a price they could easily get from 
several European potentates, but that out of their re- 
gard for King Hermann they had taken a long journey 
in order to give his Majesty the opportunity of seeing 
their unique wares. This saying pleased the Queen- 
Mother, and she at once resolved to buy the plate as a 
coronation gift for her son. 

It was sunset before the business was concluded, and 
the Queen gave orders that the two merchants and 
their attendants should be lodged in the castle for the 
night. On the following morning both men attended 
the household Mass — though it might have been no- 
ticed that neither of them took holy water, or made the 
Sign of the Cross, or bent a knee in prayer. The old 
man kept his eyes fixed upon a certain place in the 
lower choir-stalls. 

As the children of the choir returned to their quar- 
ters after Mass one boy said to his companion : 

“I say, Fritz, did you notice that queer-looking old 
man in the chapel this morning — the one with a very 
long beard V 9 


112 


MERCHANTS AT COURT 


i ‘ Do you mean the old man who was staring at some 
of us so hard?” asked Fritz. 

“Yes; I didn’t like the look of him,” said Hans: 
“do you know, he reminded me of — ” the boy paused 
and looked round. 

“Of Joel?” put in Fritz. “Yet it couldn’t have 
been Joel, could it? Joel isn’t very young of course, 
but this man looked frightfully old. Besides, his beard 
was three times longer than Joel’s.” 

“Yes, but ” 

“You don’t think it was a false beard, do you?” 

“Might have been,” said Hans. 

“But why should he want to disguise himself here? 
They say he came to sell something to the King.” 

“Yes, well it may not have been Joel. We heard, 
you know, that he had gone to Lesser Potamia.” 

“Please God we may never see him again!” ex- 
claimed Fritz. 

“But he couldn’t do anything to us now, you know.” 

“He’d try, though.” 

“Yes, I suppose he would. But then he’d have our 
King to deal with, don’t you see.” 

“That’s true. Deo Gratias !” 

The boys crossed themselves devoutly. 


CHAPTER X 


THE CORONATION 

TV/Tagus, the uncle of Queen Marabout’s jester, was 
^ “*■ a philosopher of the true sort. And by this I do 
not mean that he was learned in philosophy — with 
some branches of it he was particularly well acquainted 
— or that he had ever sat in the professor’s chair. By 
a philosopher of the true sort I mean a man who was 
really wise, as well as learned, and one who looked 
upon the world with complete indifference — unless he 
saw that he could by any effort on his part make that 
same world wiser and better. 

It has already been said that Queen Marabout’s 
ministers ran to him in all their difficulties, and that 
he had frequently rendered them important services. 
Yet to all their many and urgent entreaties that he 
would come to live at court, he steadily refused to 
listen. He valued his time, he valued his indepen- 
dence, a great deal too much ever to become a mere 
court functionary; above all things he valued the in- 
tegrity of his conscience. Magus was indeed some- 
thing better than a philosopher of the right sort; he 
was a devout Catholic. 


113 


114 


TEE CORONATION 


But he was a student of chemistry and he had a 
sound knowledge of metallurgy. When therefore the 
new coinage of Lesser Potamia began to circulate, he 
soon discovered that the gold pieces were not only light 
in weight, but that they contained a very small admix- 
ture of the precious metal. To look at them they were 
pretty enough. The new die made by J oel was a work 
of art. The new profile of the Queen was a thing of 
beauty — an outrageously flattering portrait of her 
Majesty, of course. Moreover, the coins were all new 
and bright and shining, and most of the people of Les- 
ser Potamia were glad to receive them in exchange for 
their old money, minted in the reign of the Queen’s 
father. But although the old coinage was worn and 
dirty, its worth was nearly equal to the sum it repre- 
sented. 

Magus exchanged a few of the old gold and silver 
pieces for the brand-new ones, but only a very few, and 
when he had received the latter he put them away with 
great care. He had heard much of Joel, the new gold- 
smith — who had been knighted on the very day of the 
Queen ’s return, and who, it was said, now looked for- 
ward with absolute confidence to a much higher honour. 
I say that Magus had heard much of him — so much in- 
deed that the good chemist now refused to set foot in 
the royal castle. If any of the ministers or court-func- 


THE CORONATION 


115 


tionaries came to consult him he received them with 
respect and did all he possibly could to help them; but 
he would not even know the Master of the Mint. 

Queen Marabout declared that she was ravished with 
the skill and cleverness of Sir Joel, and soon decided 
that such a man ought to be, and should be, a member 
of her Privy Council. What her Majesty esteemed 
most of all was money to spend in her travels, and as 
she was certainly going to Great Potamia for King 
Hermann’s coronation, she wanted all the money that 
she could get. For though she had always said that 
she would never set foot in Great Potamia until its 
King had visited Lesser Potamia, she saw now that 
she must needs change her mind ; this was an operation 
she could always perform with ease. 

As the time of Pentecost drew near, the court of 
Lesser Potamia was almost as busy as that of King 
Hermann. If Marabout had been going in the charac- 
ter of the Queen of Sheba she could not have made 
more elaborate preparations. Gorgeous robes of gold 
and silver tissue, mantles of the costliest silks and vel- 
vets, gowns of quilted satin studded with jewels, were 
in the making. On this occasion she did not intend to 
travel incognito. She would be attended by all her 
ministers of state, by a guard of honour composed en- 
tirely of knights and gentlemen, by twelve ladies-in- 


116 


THE CORONATION 


waiting and the same number of boy-pages in new 
liveries. 

Even Joel’s resources were severely taxed to furnish 
all the ready money the Queen demanded, and the Chan- 
cellor of the Exchequer was so entirely at his wits ’ end 
that he resigned his post. It was then that Sir Joel 
saw and seized his opportunity. If, he suggested, her 
Majesty cared to offer him the post, he thought that 
all the Queen’s demands might be met. Marabout 
made the appointment without the smallest hesitation, 
and at the same time created Sir Joel a count. 

And now the sometime silversmith was a personage 
indeed. He had attained the post he had always longed 
for; all that he still desired was that it should be 
coupled with that of Prime-Minister ; then truly would 
he be a power in Lesser Potamia. 

Count Joel was, of course, to accompany the Queen 
to the coronation. For his own sake and that of his 
country it was now his bounden duty, he told himself, 
to secure the union of his royal mistress with the boy- 
king. By every means in his power the newly-made 
count was pledged to further this important betrothal. 
For at this time nothing could be lower than the credit 
of Lesser Potamia, and not even the King of Bonhomy 
would hear of anything in the shape of a loan to a 
country so heavily in debt. 


THE CORONATION 


117 


Queen Marabout intended to arrive in Great Pota- 
mia as early as possible, and to remain there as long 
as ever she could. From what she had heard, she 
thought it very important to see much of, and to be 
very gracious to the Queen-Mother. Everybody spoke 
of the King as a mother’s boy, and as one who was 
apt to refer most questions to his maternal guardian. 
Marabout did not like this, but of course it could not be 
helped. She was firmly persuaded that she was very 
beautiful — Count Joel and her dressmakers had said so 
— and what she lacked in good looks she would easily 
make up for in splendid apparel. Moreover, she was 
going to give the King the pair of silver shoes once 
worn by Prince Olaf. Joel had sold them to her at a 
high price. 

Enormously to her chagrin, when the Queen of Les- 
ser Potamia arrived at King Hermann’s court, she 
found that a palace in the city had been set aside for 
her accommodation, and that she would be living at 
least three miles from the royal castle. She could not 
conceal her anger, and when it was respectfully 
pointed out to her that her retinue was too large to 
be received elsewhere, and that the castle was already 
filled with princes and princesses who were blood- 
relations of the King, she declared that she would not 
wait for the coronation but would return home at once. 


118 


TEE CORONATION 


On reflection, however, Marabout again changed the 
little mind she possessed. 

For the King hastened to pay his respects to Queen 
Marabout, and to explain in his own charming but per- 
fectly straightforward way how difficult it had been to 
provide suitable accommodation for so many royal 
guests, and how much he hoped that her Majesty would 
find every convenience in the palace set aside for her 
and for her retinue. Count Joel, who was present at 
the interview, noticed that his Majesty expressed no 
regret that the Queen could not be received at the 
castle. Joel did not like this. Nor did he like King 
Hermann ; the royal boy was too candid and too disin- 
genuous for Joel’s taste. Moreover, at one point in the 
interview the King had fixed a keen and enquiring eye 
upon the new Chancellor of the Exchequer. 

On the whole, Joel was rather pleased that he was 
not living at court ; for though he believed the disguise 
he had assumed in order to sell the plate had been per- 
fect and impenetrable, he had felt uncomfortable under 
the young King’s steady gaze. However, the mirror 
told him that if the court tailor and the court barber 
had not succeeded in making him appear youthful, they 
had removed from him many marks of age, and that he 
certainly did not look his years — which were not those 
of an old man. 


THE CORONATION 


119 


The coronation itself took place in the cathedral, 
and as all the chroniclers of the period remark, the 
ceremony was noticeable for the notable prominence 
given to the religious and liturgical side of the great 
function. Even kings and queens had to give place to 
ecclesiastics, and were treated not so much as guests 
and spectators, as worshippers and assistants at a 
solemn service. 

Boy as he was, his Majesty conducted himself 
throughout in a way as manly as it was devout, and 
it was noticed that only at the time of receiving the 
Blessed Sacrament did he display any emotion. But 
as he knelt to receive the Most Holy the tears 
streamed from his eyes. Another noticeable thing was 
that he remained kneeling in thanksgiving long after 
the end of the function. 

A long and trying ceremony it certainly was, for 
his Majesty had not only to receive the homage 
of his nobles, but to ride through the city in pro- 
cession in order to show himself to the people. 
Then came the great banquet at the castle, one 
big table being set apart for kings and queens. For 
three whole days there were public rejoicings through- 
out the kingdom, and the joy of the people was un- 
bounded. 

For three days and nights there were grand banquets 


120 


THE CORONATION 


and balls at the castle ; but on the fourth day the royal- 
ties began to depart. Queen Marabout stayed on. 

Her Majesty was furious with everybody, but par- 
ticularly with the King and his mother. Of course 
Marabout had been invited to, and had attended all 
the court banquets and balls, but the King had never 
once asked her to dance, had never once spoken to her 
— except in passing, or in courtly greeting and fare- 
well. 

By the fifth day most of the guests at the castle had 
departed, and it occurred to Queen Marabout that if 
only she continued to stay on at the palace she might 
possibly be invited to take up her quarters at court. 
But though formal calls were made by the King, al- 
ways with his mother, and polite messages were ex- 
changed every day, Queen Marabout was never asked 
to join the royal family circle. Yet she stayed on 
until the news reached her that the King was about to 
begin a long and leisurely journey throughout the king- 
dom, in order that the people might see their lately- 
crowned and much-loved ruler. 

Then did Queen Marabout and her suite leave Great 
Potamia. Whether she or Count Joel was the more 
wrathful and implacable is a question. What cannot 
be disputed is that so violent became the temper of the 
Queen and her Chancellor of the Exchequer that long 


THE CORONATION 


121 


before they reached Lesser Potamia every one of the 
pages had disappeared. And the horse-boys would cer- 
tainly have followed their example had not Joel taken 
means to prevent what threatened to be a wholesale 
desertion. The sufferings of the poor young ladies-in- 
waiting may be imagined. 

Joel perfectly understood that Queen Marabouts 
chances of marrying King Hermann were nil. The 
marked coldness of the King toward her Majesty of 
Lesser Potamia could not be misunderstood; perhaps 
it was even emphasised by the pains Hermann took 
to be polite and courteous toward his royal guest. 

Then, too, Joel could not but know that upon all 
ministers of state accompanying their respective sover- 
eigns the King had bestowed various orders and other 
favours; Count Joel had received nothing. 

How heavily Queen Marabout was in debt only Joel 
had any idea. He himself was her creditor-in-chief. 
The very jewels she had worn at the coronation balls 
and banquets were his property. Her dress had been 
paid for with his money. Of course he was Chancellor 
of the Exchequer, but then the exchequer was an empty 
one. 

Wretched indeed was the return journey to Lesser 
Potamia. Joel avoided the Queen as much as possible ; 
the ladies-in-waiting watered the way with their tears. 


122 


THE CORONATION 


Stopping at a forge on the wayside, Joel had every 
horse-boy’s neck fitted with an iron collar and chain. 

A melancholy retinue it was that reached home at 
nightfall — with spent horses and weary bodies, a 
gloomy and an ill-tempered Queen, and a master who 
was an adept in the use of the whip. 

One week later Count Joel was appointed Prime- 
Minister, an office he was to hold with that of Chancel- 
lor of the Exchequer. Virtually he was now ruler of 
Lesser Potamia, as well as of the Queen and the court. 

But Joel’s ambition was not yet satisfied. 


CHAPTER XI 


THE LADY ELIZABETH 

TZ* ing Hermann's progress through his realm was 
marked with every sort of demonstration of de- 
light on the part of the people. The journey was made 
in leisurely fashion, for although his Majesty was de- 
termined to see every part of his kingdom, he wished 
that every one of his subjects should have the oppor- 
tunity of seeing their ruler, and he had determined to 
ride on horseback during the entire journey, spending 
the nights — now at some castle along the route, and 
now at an abbey or priory. 

His Majesty's train was not a large one, and his 
bodyguard was made up of young noblemen of about 
his own age, boys who had for the most part been 
brought up at court, or rather at the military college 
which stood near, but which was quite distinct from 
the royal household. For, like other boy-princes fa- 
mous in history, at quite an early age he had formed 
and commanded a regiment of boy-soldiers, sharing 
their instruction at the college, and permitting the best 
and most deserving of them to spend some weeks at 
court every year, and to be in attendance upon himself. 

123 


124 


THE LADY ELIZABETH 


From this regiment he had selected twenty to accom- 
pany him through the territory of Great Potamia. 

In addition to his bodyguard there were three chap- 
lains, one of them being the Sub-Dean of the Chapel 
Royal, and eight singing-boys, together with the usual 
number of officials, serving-men, and grooms. Greatly 
to their own delight, two of the choristers were Hans 
and Fritz, the whilom apprentices of Count Joel. 

‘ ‘ Is he more boy than man, or more man than boy ? ’ 7 
was the question people asked one another, as King 
Hermann rode slowly through the cheering crowds of 
his subjects. The question was a very natural one ; for 
while on the one hand his Majesty’s face was that of a 
fresh and innocent-looking lad, on the other hand his 
bearing was so manly and dignified that if his youth- 
ful appearance had not been so pleasing it might have 
been entirely overlooked. His ready smile was a sin- 
gularly winning one, and people did not easily forget it. 
His manners were those of his mother — high-bred and 
courteous, even a little distant but altogether kindly 
and simple. Children approached him fearlessly and 
he embraced them readily. He would always try to 
hinder the kneeling of any elderly person, man or 
woman, and would extend both his hands to raise them 
as they bent the knee before him. Always would he 
keep his right hand uncovered. 


THE LADY ELIZABETH 


125 


The Queen-Mother did not travel with her son, 
though she promised to pay him little flying visits at 
various stages of the journey. Wisely enough, she now 
wished him to act more and more upon his own initia- 
tive. Though she had ever been his counsellor and 
guide, she had never tied him to her apron-strings. She 
wanted him to regard her as his nearest and dearest, 
and this he willingly did ; but she did not want to rule 
either the king or his country. Not for a moment did 
she wish to choose for him a spouse ; though she could 
not help rejoicing at the thought that for several years 
to come she would continue to hold the first place in 
his heart. 

Side by side mother and son had sat, studying to- 
gether the map of Great Potamia, and it was she who 
had arranged the stopping-places in the journey, point- 
ing out to him the castles of the old nobility at which 
he would be expected to remain as the guest of a night ; 
for his Majesty had made it widely known that in no 
circumstances would he prolong his visits. 

The enthusiasm of the people touched him deeply, 
and if he always maintained a smiling face as he bowed 
right and left, often enough the tears streamed from 
his eyes as old and young invoked upon him the bless- 
ing of heaven. 

Only two pages accompanied his Majesty, and one 


126 


THE LADY ELIZABETH 


of them was Boniface, who had been his play- 
fellow, and whom the King regarded almost as a 
brother. 

It was on the sixth day of the journey and as they 
were nearing the castle of the Duke of Lixony, that the 
King, turning in his saddle to speak to Boniface, no- 
ticed a strange light in the boy’s eyes, and a more than 
usually joyous expression in his face. 

“Why, how now, Boniface!” exclaimed the King, 
6 i do you know the people of this place ? Ah, yes, I re- 
member : the Duke is your uncle, is he not?” 

“Yes, sire,” answered the smiling page, “my 
mother was his Grace’s sister.” 

“Ah, I see; and you are very fond of him, are you?” 

“I have not seen him since I was a little child, your 
Majesty, and he was very kind to me then. But what 
makes me so glad is that at yonder castle I shall see 
my sister Elizabeth.” 

“How delightful, Boniface? Does she live there 
always ? ’ ’ 

“Yes, sire.” 

“Why didn’t she come with the Duke to the corona- 
tion?” 

“Well, your Majesty, the Duke was not quite sure 
if the invitation extended to my sister. Besides, she is 
very shy, and loves books and music more than she 


THE LADY ELIZABETH 


127 


loves society — if your Majesty will pardon my saying 
so.” 

“Oh, certainly,” laughed the King. “You resemble 
her, or she resembles you, eh ? But I do wish she would 
come to court, if only to see you, my Boniface. Why, 
I suppose you haven ’t met for several years?” 

“Not for five years, your Majesty.” 

“What a shame! How I wish I had known that. 
But that’s just like you, Boniface. You never ask for 
anything for yourself. However, I am so glad you are 
going to see her now. ’ ’ 

When the King had been shown to his apartments 
and the pages were in attendance upon him, his Maj- 
esty suddenly turned to Boniface and said: “We must 
really dispense you for the time we are here. Go to 
your sister and — stay! would you not like to remain 
here for a few days? You could easily overtake us: 
say in three days’ time.” 

Boniface’s only reply was to kneel and kiss his Maj- 
esty’s hand. 

“I must see the Lady Elizabeth,” the King said to 
himself, as some hours later he went to the ballroom. 
“I wonder if she’s older or younger than Boniface? I 
forgot to ask him that.” 

The Lady Elizabeth was a year and a half younger 
than Boniface, and though her shyness scarcely per- 


128 


THE LADY ELIZABETH 


mitted her to look into the King’s face when his Maj- 
esty had danced with the duchess and with her daugh- 
ters, he sought out the young Lady Elizabeth and 
begged her to dance with him. 

4 4 0 Boniface ! ’ ’ exclaimed the King as the page came 
a little later to thank his royal master for the honour 
accorded to his sister, 4 4 she is just the sweetest and 
shyest little maiden I ever danced with. And she is 
light as a feather. Her feet did not seem to touch the 
ground. It was like dancing with a fairy — or shall I 
say an angel? But she is very, very shy. 4 Yes,’ and 
4 No’ were the only words she would give me.” 

4 4 Sire , 9 9 returned the page, 4 4 she seldom appears in 
society, for my aunt and uncle do not entertain much ; 
and as I have said, she is devoted to books and to her 
lute.” 

4 4 Oh, but she must come to court,” said the King 
eagerly. 4 4 1 must tell my mother about her. She is so 
very sweet and pretty and modest; I am sure my 
mother would like to have her among her maids-of- 
honour. Of course she is young, only fourteen you 
say; but then she is so very womanly withal. I shall 
write to my mother at once and send the letter by a 
special messenger.” 

When the Queen-Mother received and read her son’s 
letter she smiled and sighed. It was so like her boy, 


THE LADY ELIZABETH 


129 


she thought, to tell his mother of the very first maiden 
he had ever admired. Even now there seemed to be 
something very impersonal in the matter; the King 
wanted his mother to know and to befriend the Lady 
Elizabeth. The Queen would not permit herself to 
think that her son was ever likely to fall in love with 
one who, though she was noble, was no suitable spouse 
for a monarch. But she immediately wrote an affec- 
tionate answer to his Majesty’s letter, and promised to 
send the maiden an invitation, which would of course 
be a command, forthwith. 

The Queen smiled as she thought of a very safe plan 
that occurred to her. Her boy would be absent from 
court fully three months, possibly longer; why should 
she not have the damsel among her maids-of-honour 
for that period, and then permit her to leave for home 
just before the King’s return? Hermann quite under- 
stood that the ladies of the court were only in attend- 
ance for a limited period, and he would be so pleased 
that his suggestion had been immediately acted upon. 
The Queen herself was quite prepared to like the Lady 
Elizabeth, whose brother Boniface was so singularly 
good and lovable. 

So before the week was over the young maiden was 
among the Queen’s ladies, feeling very shy but acting 
by no means awkwardly, and making more than one 


130 


THE LADY ELIZABETH 


of her companions envious of her sweetness and her 
beauty. 

For that the Lady Elizabeth was exceedingly beauti- 
ful could not be denied. To herself the Queen admitted 
that never had she seen such hair of soft gold silk, such 
sky-blue eyes, and such a complexion of pure red and 
white. Yet the most remarkable points about Eliza- 
beth were her modesty and gentleness. 

‘ ‘ Happily/ ’ said the Queen to herself, “ Hermann 
will soon forget the little maid. Before he has finished 
his travels he will have seen all the noblest and fairest 
daughters of Great Potamia ; indeed, I shall not be sur- 
prised if before he returns home, he asks me to invite 
several other young ladies to court.” 

Meanwhile the Queen-Mother received from the King 
of Bonhomy, her father, alarming news concerning the 
health of her young brother 01 af, the Carmelite. There 
was such a difference of age between them that the 
Queen, who was King Bonhomy ’s eldest child, knew lit- 
tle or nothing of her little brother, for he had been born 
after her marriage with the late King of Great Po- 
tamia. The present King had never seen his mother’s 
little brother, and was always amused when he heard 
Olaf spoken of as his uncle, seeing that he (Hermann) 
was his senior by some months. 

Yet since the incident of the silver shoes, King Her- 


THE LADY ELIZABETH 


131 


mann had taken a great interest in Prince Olaf, and 
they had exchanged several affectionate letters, in 
which the King earnestly recommended himself to his 
uncled prayers. 

During the past year many rumours of Olaf ’s sanc- 
tity had reached Great Potamia, and the Cardinal- 
Archbishop said publicly that Brother Aquinas was 
certainly practising heroic virtue, and that his breth- 
ren already regarded him as a saint. 

Now though Prince Olaf had been an exceedingly 
delicate child, during the time of his novitiate his 
health had improved in such a marked way as to re- 
move all cause for anxiety from the minds of his par- 
ents and superiors ; latterly, however, he had been very 
ailing, and now seemed to be in some danger. 

“Pray much for dear Olaf, my darling,” wrote the 
Queen-Mother to her son, 4 4 and get many Masses said 
for him. I fear I must go to Bonhomy to be with my 
father and mother, for they are getting old, and my 
married brothers and sisters are too far off, or too much 
occupied with their respective families, to visit Bon- 
homy. You, my darling, are in good hands, and your 
travels are only half completed. By the time you get 
home I trust I shall have returned . 9 9 

The Queen set off at once for Bonhomy, but long be- 
fore she reached her father’s house news came to her 


132 


THE LADY ELIZABETH 


that her young brother was dead. More than this, it 
was said that miracles were already being worked at 
his tomb. The Carmelite priory was besieged with 
pilgrims from every part of the country. Incredible 
difficulty had been experienced in burying the body, 
and the crowd had only been controlled by the presence 
of men-at-arms. 

The King and Queen of Bonhomy were in great 
grief and gladly welcomed the arrival of their eldest 
daughter. Before many days had passed other mem- 
bers of the family reached Bonhomy — some from con- 
siderable distances, to which, however, the fame of 
Olaf *s sanctity had already reached. 

‘ ‘How foolish we were,” said the weeping King one 
day to his family circle, “how very foolish to let those 
silver shoes of the dear lad leave Bonhomy. Why did 
we not buy them back while they were in the possession 
of that man Joel? Who knows what has become of 
them by this ? It is said that they were bought by that 
erratic Queen of Lesser Potamia, and I have already 
sent special messengers to her court to enquire about 
them, and to offer a large sum of money for them.” 

“But, my father!” exclaimed his eldest daughter, 
“the shoes are already in my son’s possession; they 
formed part of the coronation present bestowed upon 
him by Queen Marabout. Dear Hermann will be only 


THE LADY ELIZABETH 


133 


too pleased to ask your acceptance of them, I am sure. 
I am sending some despatches to him to-morrow, and 
I will tell him how much consolation he will afford you 
by the present of dear Olaf ’s shoes.” 

‘ 4 It will be a real consolation to us, ’ 9 exclaimed the 
King. ‘ ‘ Strangely enough, we are the only people in 
Bonhomy who retain no relic of him, for before he 
went to the priory he begged so earnestly that he might 
give all his belongings either to the poor or to his 
friends, that we could not refuse him. The conse- 
quence is that we have not an article of his wearing 
apparel or of anything that he used. His poor Carmel- 
ite habit was pulled from his body by the pious crowd : 
indeed it was replaced several times, only to be torn 
off by the devout. ’ ’ 

A few days after this the King’s messengers to the 
court of Queen Marabout returned. To the astonish- 
ment and bewilderment of the King and Queen of Bon- 
homy and to their eldest daughter, they were the 
bearers of Olaf’s silver shoes. 

“But, my daughter!” exclaimed the King, “you told 
us that the silver shoes had been given to your son?” 

Hermann ’s mother could only say that Queen Mara- 
bout assured them that the shoes she presented at the 
coronation were the veritable pair once worn by Prince 
Olaf . The young King had accepted them with pleasure, 


134 


THE LADY ELIZABETH 


and always kept them in the little private oratory near 
his bedchamber. 6 4 Even then,” added the Queen- 
Mother, 4 4 my son regarded them as a sort of relic, for 
he believed that his little uncle had had them made as 
instruments of penance, and not out of mere caprice. ’ ’ 

“It is likely!” said the King; “it is quite likely. 
We never understood our darling till we lost him. But 
in regard to the shoon, there is certainly some mystery. 
How shall we ever find out which is the genuine pair?” 

4 4 Certainly these do not appear to have been worn, ’ ’ 
remarked the Queen of Bonhomy, as she examined 
them closely. “And when they were sold by the Prior, 
I remember hearing that certain marks upon them — a 
dint, I think it was — detracted from their market 
value. ’ ’ 

“Ah!” exclaimed the King. 


CHAPTER XII 


AT THE COURT OF BONHOMY 

T7" in g Hermann 's mother lost no time in sending 
trusty messengers to her court for the silver 
shoes presented to her son by Queen Marabout. Her- 
mann had already written to say that, though he valued 
such a relic very highly, he was only too pleased to sac- 
rifice it for the solace of his grandfather and grand- 
mother. 

Strange to say, when the second pair of shoes ar- 
rived from Great Potamia they exactly resembled those 
already bought by the King of Bonhomy from Queen 
Marabout at an exceedingly high price. There was no 
dint upon them, no scratch or mark or sign of wear 
upon either of them. It was certain that both pairs 
could not be genuine ; it seemed likely that neither pair 
had ever been worn by Prince Olaf. 

The Carmelite Prior was sent for and gave it as his 
opinion that the shoes shown to him were spurious. 
He remembered every detail of the pair the Prince had 
left at the crib, because Joel had been careful to point 
out to him whatever scratches or dints were upon them ; 
for though Olaf had worn them only from Christmas 
135 


136 


AT THE COURT OF BONHOMY 


Eve to the morning of St. Stephen’s day he had during 
that time run about in them a good deal, indoors and 
out-of-doors, with all the recklessness of a boy of 
twelve. Of course the silversmith’s art might have re- 
moved these marks, added the Prior, but there was 
such a look of brand-newness about each of the two 
pairs before him that he greatly doubted their genuine- 
ness. 

All sorts of strange rumours had reached Bonhomy 
from Lesser Potamia — rumours concerning Queen 
Marabout, the new Prime-Minister, and the new coin- 
age. 

‘ < There can be no doubt, ’ ’ the King was saying to the 
Prior, “that things in that country are in a very bad 
way. Two people from Lesser Potamia arrived here 
last night, an uncle and a nephew — the latter to throw 
himself upon our protection, the former to beg us to 
intervene in the affairs of his country. The boy has 
been a jester at Queen Marabout’s court, but has run 
away on account of the ill-treatment he received at the 
hands of the Queen and of Joel. His uncle bears excel- 
lent credential letters from the ex-ministers of the 
Queen, the men whose places Joel has taken. He is 
also strongly recommended to our notice by the Lord 
Abbot and the court chaplains. We have not yet inter- 
viewed him or his nephew, but we find the man’s ere- 


AT THE COURT OF BONHOMY 


137 


dentials very satisfactory. We suppose, Father Prior, 
you have no knowledge of such a person f ’ ’ 

4 4 Your Majesty,” answered the Prior, “if as I sus- 
pect, this man is generally known in Lesser Potamia 
as Magus, I can only say that I have heard him spoken 
of as the wisest man in that realm, and one of the holi- 
est to be found outside the walls of a Religious house. 
As your Majesty knows, we have had many pilgrims at 
the priory during the last month, and among them were 
a few from Lesser Potamia. With them I had speech, 
and they all spoke in praise of Magus — who, they said, 
was hated and feared by Joel. Indeed Magus would 
have joined the pilgrimage, they said, if he could have 
obtained the release of his nephew, who seems to 
have been imprisoned in the castle dungeon for 
many long months. Evidently he has succeeded in 
delivering the poor lad and they have left the country 
secretly. ’ 9 

4 4 We will interview them both in your Reverence’s 
presence,” said the King, giving orders that Magus 
and his nephew should have immediate audience. 

Nothing could be imagined less like the merry-an- 
drew we met in a former chapter than this pale, sickly- 
looking boy who now, leaning on his uncle’s arm, 
limped painfully into the presence chamber. When 
they had made their obeisance the King ordered them 


138 


AT TEE COURT OF BONEOMY 


to be seated. Then turning to the man his Majesty 
asked him a few formal questions as to his name and 
country, his age and profession, all of which were 
promptly and satisfactorily answered. 

“And what is it you wish us to do for yourself and 
for your nephew ?” asked the King. 

“Sire,” began Magus, “for myself I ask nothing — 
except leave to reside in your Majesty’s dominions, 
and to some extent under your Majesty’s protection, in 
order that I may pursue my studies. For my nephew 
I would beg a place in your Majesty’s household, at 
least for a time — long enough to protect him from the 
cruelty and torture of the employer from which he has 
managed to escape.” 

‘ ‘ Cruelty and torture ! ’ ’ exclaimed the King ; ‘ ‘ these 
are strong words, Master Magus.” 

“Sire,” returned Magus, “a very little examination 
of this poor boy’s body would prove that no other 
words can fitly describe what he has undergone in the 
dungeon of Queen Marabout’s castle. But I have no 
wish to trouble your Majesty with even the shortest 
account of them. I come here to plead for my unhappy 
country. As I have said, I was born and brought up in 
Lesser Potamia, and no land is so dear to me as is that 
over which Queen Marabout rules — nominally at 
least.” 


AT THE COURT OF BONHOMY 


139 


“ What do you mean by nominally V’ asked the King 
sharply. 

“I mean sire, that the Queen rules only in name, 
and not in fact. The present ruler of Lesser Potamia 
is Count Joel, Prime-Minister and Chancellor of the 
Exchequer. ’ ’ 

“But what would you have us do in so delicate a 
matter I Do you not know that we have a constitutional 
dislike of interfering in any business outside our own 
range of duties f ” 

“Such a dislike is entirely creditable to your Maj- 
esty — in ordinary circumstances. But the circum- 
stances of my country are at present quite out of the 
ordinary. Its actual ruler is a foreign adventurer and, 
if I may say so without offence, one of your Majesty’s 
subjects. Joel is a refugee from Bonhomy. He had no 
permission to leave this city and kingdom ; he fled be- 
cause he feared the vengeance of the people. It is 
within your Majesty’s power to recall him — if neces- 
sary, to take him by force.” 

The King shut his eyes, and for some time silence 
reigned in the audience chamber. 

“In a serious matter of this sort we cannot be too 
cautious,” said the King, rousing himself at length, 
and rising from his chair of state. “It is our wish,” 
he continued, turning to a lord-in-waiting, “that Mas- 


140 


AT THE COURT OF BONHOMY 


ter Magus and his nephew be honourably lodged and 
entertained. We will treat of these matters on a fu- 
ture occasion. ’ ’ 

But just as his Majesty was preparing to leave the 
apartment, his eyes fell upon the two pairs of silver 
shoes which stood side by side on the table. 

“Ah!” exclaimed the King, “we had forgotten. 
Have you any knowledge of metals, Master Magus!” 

“Yes, your Majesty, I have.” 

“Well, then, we wish you to examine these articles, 
and to tell us, if you can, whether they have been 
wrought recently, and of what quality is the metal of 
which they are made. But what we particularly wish 
to know is, if from any one of the shoes a scratch or 
mark of any kind has been removed. And be sure you 
keep the two pairs separate and distinct in their re- 
spective boxes.” 

“Sire, I will examine them at once. Your Majesty 
shall receive a report upon them as soon as possible. ’ ’ 

“Good,” said the King. “Father Prior, we wish 
you to attend us in a private audience. ’ 9 

Later in the day the King sent his own leech to ex- 
amine the young jester, and to do for him whatever 
might be beneficial. 

The old doctor was appalled at the lad’s condition. 


AT THE COURT OF BONHOMY 


141 


There was no need to ask the sufferer how he came by 
the wounds and sores upon neck and ankles and wrists.. 
It was clear that he had worn a collar of iron, and that 
his manacles and shackles had cut into the flesh. He 
admitted that for a long time his neck had been chained 
to his feet in such a way that he could not stand up- 
right, and that when the iron began to make a wound 
upon his neck he had been forced to take a kneeling po- 
sition while his hands were chained behind his back 
and then fastened to his ankles. 

Magus declared that the lad had been stout and lusty 
until his imprisonment : a diet of bread and water had 
brought him down to such a condition of emaciation 
that he was scarcely recognisable. 

“The Queen often punished us,” said the boy, “but 
it was only now and then that she was really cruel. 
Count Joel tortures you. It was he who had me im- 
prisoned and who told the warder how I was to be 
chained. And it was all because I made a little joke 
that he didn’t like. It was only a stupid little riddle 
I made for fun: ‘When is a silversmith a shoemaker?’ 
And the answer was, ‘When he makes silver shoon.’ 
I don’t know why he was so angry about it. If I had 
made a pair of silver shoes I should be very proud, 
particularly if I had made them for a prince.” 

It was on the following day that Magus returned the 


142 


AT THE COURT OF BONHOMY 


two pairs of shoes to the King, and unhesitatingly gave 
his judgment upon them. 

“Your Majesty may not have noticed that one pair 
is much heavier than the other ,’ 9 said Magus; “but the 
truth is that neither is made of silver. The heavier 
pair is of iron, the other of tin : each is plated over with 
a kind of inferior silver. Both pairs have been made 
very recently. I could easily remove the coating of 
silver, or partially remove it, and show your Majesty 
the iron and tin beneath . 9 9 

“Some day we may ask you to do that,” said the 
King. ‘ ‘ For the present we will have the shoes put in 
a safe place.” 

A heap of coins lay on the table and the King took 
up what looked like a gold piece. “Do you know 
these!” asked his Majesty. 

“Very well indeed, sire; I have a few in my posses- 
sion — a very few, I am thankful to say . 9 9 

“You do not think that they are of full value!” 

“Far from it, sire.” 

“What is the value of one of these gold pieces!” 

“Less than the half of what it represents, your Maj- 
esty. 9 9 

“And this is the new coinage of your new Prime- 
Minister!” 

“It is, sire.” 


AT THE COURT OF BON HOMY 


143 


‘ ‘ These, too, we will have carefully put away , 1 9 said 
the King. i ‘ Meanwhile, we are in correspondence with 
our grandson, the King of Great Potamia, who is still 
travelling through his country. It is possible that his 
Majesty may extend his journey as far as Bonhomy. 
Of course it will be some time before we can hear from 
him. Meanwhile, we trust you and your nephew will 
remain under our protection. We have given orders 
that you are to be supplied with whatever books or in- 
struments you may need. By-and-by we may have 
need of your services. We trust that your nephew will 
soon get stronger; our leech shall give him every at- 
tention. ’ ’ 

Magus expressed his deep gratitude to the King 
and withdrew. Though the good man would much 
rather have been housed in the guest-quarters of some 
monastery, his gratitude for the kindness shown to the 
boy, as well as his great longing to get something done 
for his country, made him glad to remain at the court 
of Bonhomy. 

The King of Bonhomy was very far from wishing to 
act on his own responsibility. That he would be slow to 
act at all, was certain. He was a good man but very 
wooden — without imagination and without initiative. 
His policy was generally that of a masterly inactivity. 
Some of his subjects spoke of him as “a plain, prac- 


144 


AT THE COURT OF BONHOMY 


tical man,” too cautious ever to do anything very rash. 
Others said that he was so afraid of making a mistake 
that he would never make anything at all in this world 
— except a little money and many enemies. Others 
laughed at him and called him a harmless old thing, 
and one who would never have an enemy because he 
would never possess a friend. And it was a fact that, 
outside his own family circle, he was intimate with 
none. Perhaps the Carmelite Prior now stood to him 
in the place of a confidant, for lately he had become 
his Majesty’s confessor. 

King Hermann’s mother remained at Bonhomy for 
a fortnight, and then joined her son at one of the 
towns on the return route he was just beginning. She 
had many things to say, though she could only stay 
with him for a day. She wanted to tell him how much 
she esteemed the Lady Elizabeth; she wanted to hear 
more of his journey than he could tell her in des- 
patches. Above all, she wished him to find out how the 
public opinion of Great Potamia was affected by the 
doings of the Queen and the Prime-Minister of Lesser 
Potamia. She desired to know also what his Maj- 
esty’s feelings were in regard to the mismanagement 
of a territory that joined his own, and one that, though 
too small to be a menace to the peace of the larger 
country, could not be left out of count in his Majesty’s 
foreign policy. 


CHAPTER XIII 


HIGH STAKES 

T oel was by no means content to be Prime-Minister 
** and Chancellor of the Exchequer ; he would be King 
of Lesser Potamia in name as well as in fact. At any 
rate he would be King Consort — the husband of the 
Queen. 

For seeing that there was now no sort of hope that 
she would ever marry the King of Great Potamia, 
Count J oel did not hesitate — not merely to propose to 
her Majesty, but to press his suit. With the greatest 
scorn and with angry laughter did the Queen listen, 
or rather refuse to listen to him. When he persisted 
she became hysterical and then violent, throwing at 
him a large and valuable vase — which he easily dodged 
and of which he subsequently picked up the broken 
pieces. Then he retired, merely remarking that he 
would see her Majesty when she had quite recovered. 
He knew that he had chosen a good time for his pro- 
posal, for the Queen, having been at home nearly four 
weeks, had just declared that if she did not immedi- 
ately get change of air and scene she would die. 

But before she could get change of air and scene she 
145 


146 


HIGH STAKES 


needed change of another sort. Her -purse was very 
low and the little money she had was of the new coin- 
age; already she had discovered that foreign money- 
changers looked askance at the new coinage, and re- 
fused to give her more than a tenth of its supposed 
value. Therefore, she wanted money, and to get it she 
must apply to the man who wished to marry her, or 
rather, insisted upon marrying her. 

Joel did not wait upon his royal mistress until she 
sent for him. When he appeared he had a bundle of 
documents in his hand, and when the Queen, without 
making any allusion to the scene of the previous day, 
requested him to furnish her with a good supply of the 
old good coinage, not the new, he bowed very low, 
smiled sardonically, and then on bended knee pre- 
sented her Majesty with a detailed statement of what 
she already owed him. 

If there had been a fire in the room probably the 
Queen would have thrown the papers into the middle 
of it, but the weather was still warm and there was no 
fire, so that she had to be content to throw the bundle 
at Joel’s face. Easily and composedly he caught it 
and laid it on the table at her Majesty’s elbow. Two 
or three unlucky pages giggled, and she immediately 
ordered them to get thirty lashes apiece. Eventually 
she had the apartment cleared, and informed Count 


HI OH STAKES 


147 


Joel that she was about to journey to Bonhomy, and 
that she needed five hundred old gold pieces. 

With a respect which was ridiculously exaggerated, 
J oel replied that he would immediately place the 
money in her Majesty’s hands if she would reply with 
one affirmative word to a very simple question. Would 
her Majesty accept his hand? His heart, he added 
with a grin, had long been in her Majesty’s pos- 
session. 

The Queen burst into passionate tears. 

“You odious wretch!” she screamed. “Surely in 
making you a count of the realm and a Minister of 
State, I have done enough for you! You, a mere 
craftsman and shopkeeper ! How dare you insult your 
Queen?” 

“Believe me, Madame,” he said, placing a hand 
upon his heart, ‘ ‘ there is nothing that love dare not do. 
There is nothing farther from my intention than to in- 
sult your Majesty. I but offer you the affection, the 
devoted affection, of an honest man.” 

“Honest man!” she cried scornfully, “what do you 
know of honesty? And why do you persecute me with 
these papers?” she continued, accidentally catching 
sight of the first document, which bore upon it the sum 
total of her debt to Joel. Curiosity impelled her to 
glance at it. She turned pale, and the paper fell from 


148 


HIGH STAKES 


her hand. Joel picked it up and at the same time bent 
his knee before the Queen. 

1 ‘ Accept my hand, Madame, and my devoted care. 
Say but the one little word ‘ yes,’ and I affix my hand 
and seal to this bill. The debt will be for ever wiped 
out.” 

The Queen was silent save for a stifled sob. 

“You must wait until our return from Bonhomy, ,, 
she said at length. “We cannot be forced into such a 
marriage without taking time for consideration. Give 
us the money for our journey, and on the word of a 
Queen we promise to give you your answer immedi- 
ately upon our return. ’ ’ 

J oel swept up the papers and made a profound bow. 

“I regret that I cannot accept your Majesty’s propo- 
sition,” he said, with some firmness. “I have the 
honour of wishing your Majesty good morning, and a 
happy journey.” 

He had reached the door of the room when the Queen 
said: 

‘ ‘ Stay ! Count Joel. The marriage you desire would 
of course be a private and a secret one ! 9 1 

“Certainly not, Madame,” he said with decision. 

‘ ‘ Oh, you odious wretch , 9 9 wailed the Queen. ‘ ‘ Why, 
there is not a priest in the land who would marry us.” 

“Possibly not, Madame,” he snarled, “but in other 


HIGH STAKES 


149 


lands there are what are called ministers — as your 
Majesty well knows.” 

The Queen looked up quietly. She was very pale. 

“What do you mean to insinuate?” she asked 
brokenly. 

“Nothing, Madame, except that a little bird has told 
me how well affected you are toward the new religion.” 

“It is a lie!” she exclaimed, springing from her 
chair and stamping her foot. She was trembling with 
rage — or with fear; perhaps with both. 

“Nothing can be easier than to get one of the new 
ministers to perform the ceremony,” he laughed. 
‘ ‘ Why, there is nothing they will not do to oblige a king 
or queen. Martin Luther will even let a man have two 
wives. ’ 9 

“What have you heard about me?” she demanded 
with vehemence. 

‘ * Only that in your travels, Madame, you have made 
many new friends, and that among them are not a few 
Protestants.” 

“I will have those maids of mine roasted at a slow 
fire.” 

“That will not help matters in the least,” he said 
mockingly. “I have not been gossiping with your 
ladies-in-waiting. My little bird was not a maid-of- 
honour.” 


150 


HIGH STAKES 


“You have been tampering with my despatches ! 9 ’ 
she exclaimed. 

4 4 Am I not your Prime-Minister ? ’ ’ he answered with 
a grimace. 4 4 It is true that I have in my possession 
papers that would prove you to be a heretic. More- 
over, Madame, those who possess a secret library 
should be careful to keep it locked.” 

The Queen sank into the nearest chair and fell 
a-weeping. 

44 I will be generous,” he began after a long pause, 
which was punctuated by the Queen ’s sobs. 44 I per- 
ceive now that the marriage could not he a state cere- 
mony. Let it then he a private one. You are right in 
saying that no priest will bless our union; personally 
I am glad of that. We will go beyond the frontier in- 
cognito. You will be on your travels as usual ; I shall 
follow after an interval. No one need be the wiser — 
until we are actually united. Your Lutheran minister 
will provide the necessary witnesses — for witnesses I 
insist upon. You will still be Queen of Lesser Pota- 
mia and I — I shall be King-Consort.” 

4 4 King of Devils!” she exclaimed passionately. 

4 4 Yes, yes!” he laughed; then drawing from his 
pouch a bag of money he thrust his hand into it and 
made the gold pieces chink. The Queen looked up 
suddenly. 


HIGH STAKES 


151 


“If I marry you,” she said, “you will endow me and 
my country with all your worldly goods?” 

‘ ‘ Of course, Madame, ’ 9 he answered, holding out his 
right hand. 

‘ ‘ Then I am yours , 1 9 she replied, placing her hand in 
his. 

‘ ‘ Let us not delay the marriage , 9 9 he urged. ‘ ‘ Once 
we are united no one can interfere. You wish to 
travel? Good. Depart at your convenience. I will 
follow after.” 

“You are an angel !” she exclaimed as he handed her 
the bag of money. 

“Yes,” he said to himself, smiling grimly as he left 
the room, “I will follow after. And very close after 
you, Madame, I assure you. I will shadow you 
as if I were in truth your angel — or your familiar 
demon.” 

Joel had no intention of losing sight of the Queen 
for a single hour. On the following morning, though 
he took an affectionate leave of her Majesty, and prom- 
ised to meet her at the appointed place in three days’ 
time, she had no sooner left the castle than he and his 
son mounted their horses and set off — ostensibly in 
the opposite direction, hut taking a round which would 
soon bring them to the road upon which the Queen was 
travelling. 


152 


HIGH STAKES 


Little has been said about the people of Lesser Pota- 
mia for the simple reason that they were peaceable and 
law-abiding folk, caring little for politics and much for 
religion, devoted to agricultural pursuits and thrifty 
beyond the common run of men. In time past no nation 
had shown greater patriotism or loyalty, and the fact 
that they were governed by a young queen served only 
to strengthen their attachment to the throne. 

But now and for several years past there had been, 
naturally enough, much discontent and disaffection. 
Under such a rule as Queen Marabout’s probably no 
nation in the world would have been so patient as her 
subjects had shown themselves; yet wishing and hop- 
ing for the union of their sovereign with the King of 
Great Potamia, they had borne much oppression and 
wrong. Already they were being taxed beyond endur- 
ance. The greater part of the nobility were non-resi- 
dent ; the people were badly represented ; they had no 
leader. 

Yet when they discovered that their coinage had not 
merely deteriorated, but that its actual value was of 
the most dubious, a great wave of indignation spread 
throughout the land. Secret meetings were held, and 
those among the ex-ministers dismissed by Joel who 
had not already left the country were asked to advise 
and to help. With the knowledge that King Hermann 


HIGH STAKES 


153 


would never marry their Queen, their last hope had 
vanished. 

The pious among them were making pilgrimages to 
Bonhomy in order to implore for their Queen and coun- 
try the intercession of the saintly young Carmelite. 
The impious were trying to stir up the people to deeds 
of violence. The few politicians in the country were 
determined to take instant measures for the salvation 
of their fatherland. 

So it came to pass that while letters were passing 
and repassing between the King of Bonhomy and 
the King of Great Potamia, deputations of Lesser Po- 
tamians were sent to each of these monarchs, imploring 
their intervention. Each deputation was headed by an 
ex-minister of State. That they chose the time of de- 
parture just three days after Queen Marabout had set 
out, was a mere accident. 

How to find the King of Great Potamia, and when 
they came upon his Majesty how to secure his time and 
attention, were the difficulties. So the deputation 
resolved first of all to visit the Queen-Mother, and 
if they received a favourable hearing from her they 
would beg her to give them letters of intercession to 
her son. 

The deputy to the King of Bonhomy had no difficul- 
ties to encounter. Moreover, Magus was now at the 


154 


HIGH STAKES 


court of Bonhomy; what they had to say to the King 
would be no news to his Majesty. 

Discreetly enough, each member of the two deputa- 
tions left the country singly, appointing a place of 
meeting across the two frontiers. 

Meanwhile Magus was not idle. The King of Bon- 
homy was already in possession of a complete history 
of the reign of Queen Marabout, and if he had not been 
one of those so-called “ plain, practical business-like 
men” who by sheer obstinacy and stupidity manage to 
impress people as wooden-headed as themselves, Les- 
ser Potamia would have benefited immediately and 
lastingly. But the King temporised and referred 
things to his eldest daughter and to King Her- 
mann. 

However, his Majesty received the deputation civilly 
and tried to listen to them without falling asleep. Then 
he made them a speech full of truisms and platitudes 
and conventional phrases, winding up by reminding 
them that patience was a virtue. Certainly in dealing 
with his Majesty it was a most necessary, if not an 
heroic virtue. 

Having been entertained at the court of Bonhomy 
for three days, on the morning of the fourth they were 
about to depart for Lesser Potamia when a most un- 
usual excitement among the members of the royal 


HIGH STAKES 


155 


household caused them to enquire if there was any 
news. 

“News!” exclaimed a groom of the chamber laugh- 
ing heartily, “I should just think there is. Why, man, 
before nightfall the young King of Great Potamia will 
be here.” 


CHAPTER XIV 


THE COMING OF HEEMANN 

XJeveb had such a day been known at the court of 
Bonhomy. Even the King was not permitted to 
take a nap. Every servant in the castle was working 
his hardest. Men-at-arms were called in to help. All 
was bustle and excitement and confusion. 

The King did not at all like the suddenness of it. 
Late the night before a messenger had arrived at the 
castle with despatches from King Hermann. Business 
of great moment, wrote his Majesty, had caused him 
to interrupt his progress through Great Potamia, and 
he and his train were already travelling toward Bon- 
homy as fast as possible. On the evening of the third 
day from that upon which he wrote, he hoped to arrive. 
There were no explanations ; there was no news. 

When the report reached the city steps were at once 
taken to give the young and newly-crowned King a 
right royal welcome. All that day draperies of scarlet 
and blue and gold were being hung from windows 
and balconies. Banners floated from every roof and 
tower. 

But it was close upon midnight when the King 
156 


THE COMING OF HERMANN 


157 


arrived, weary and travel-stained, and glad to take a 
little refreshment ere he went to rest. 

On the following morning, however, his Majesty was 
hearing Mass at six o’clock, and though he was told 
that his royal host would not appear until an hour or 
so before noon, by eight o’clock Hermann was at his 
desk, writing and dictating despatches. Three hours 
later the King of Bonhomy sent for him. 

Grandfather and grandson had not met since 
the latter was a little child ; to-day they were 
seated side by side discussing the affairs of Lesser 
Potamia. 

“Sire,” King Hermann was saying, “we must act 
at once. There is no time to lose. We have evidence 
of two deplorable facts. This very day Joel is married 
to Queen Marabout, and by a minister of the new re- 
ligion. When they will return to Lesser Potamia we 
do not know. Rumours of the Queen ’s apostasy 
reached me last week, and though it came from a trust- 
worthy source I refused to believe it. Unhappily, it is 
too true. The man Joel is, I am told, of no religion; 
directly the couple return, however, the Catholic relig- 
ion is to be suppressed. The Lutherans were so de- 
lighted at the Queers perversion that they could not 
keep it secret. Already some of them are flocking into 
Lesser Potamia, hoping to obtain offices in or about the 


158 


THE COMING OF HERMANN 


court. Grandsire ! ’ ’ exclaimed the boy-king, ‘ ‘ there is 
not a moment to lose.” 

4 ‘But what do you propose to do?” enquired the 
King of Bonhomy uneasily. 

“Do, grandsire!” exclaimed the royal lad, “I intend 
to protect the Catholic Faith — at the cost of my life, if 
necessary. I intend to go to the relief of the oppressed 
people of Lesser Potamia. I propose to protect that 
unhappy Queen from herself, and from the villain she 
has wedded. Listen, grandsire! I have ordered my 
troops to advance upon Lesser Potamia and to take 
possession of all the royal residences in my name. I 
myself shall meet them at noon to-morrow. When the 
Queen and Joel hear of this they will return immedi- 
ately. Then I shall present each of them with an ulti- 
matum. I do not want their country: I will not keep 
it, even if I have to take it and hold it for a time. ’ ’ 

“And what do you propose to do with Joel?” 

“I propose to seize him and to hand him over to 
your Majesty.” 

“But — but — why to us?” 

“Because he is your Majesty’s subject.” 

“We — we really don’t want him.” 

“Probably nobody does,” laughed Hermann, “not 
even the poor, silly Queen he has forced to marry him 
— if he has forced her.” 


THE COMING OF HERMANN 


159 


“On the whole/ ’ said the King of Bonhomy, “we 
would rather not interfere. At our age we ought not 
to meddle in foreign politics .’ 9 

“Not when the Faith of an entire country is in 
danger, grandsire!” exclaimed the boy-king with flash- 
ing eyes. 

The old King shuffled his feet and closed his eyes as 
he said : 

4 1 My boy, you are — well, very young, and impetuous, 
and — all that.” 

‘ ‘ Grandsire, ’ 9 began the boy — tears now stood in his 
eyes — ‘ 1 1 am all that you say, but I am more than you 
say. My youth I cannot help. I am not yet fully six- 
teen years old. Nevertheless — and I entreat your 
Majesty to forgive my presumption — I intend to do 
what I have said. I am the crowned King of Great 
Potamia, and I have promised the good God to defend 
what I know to be — the Right. Already I have sub- 
mitted my plans to my mother, to my guardian the 
Cardinal- Archbishop, and to my ministers. Each and 
all approve.” 

“Well, well,” muttered the King of Bonhomy as he 
rose from his chair, “by all means follow the dictates 
of your conscience. But don ’t drag us into the matter. 
We have no taste for international complications. We 
will see you later concerning this and other matters.” 


160 


THE COMING OF HERMANN 


King Hermann opened the door for his grandfather, 
bowed, and returned to his writing-table ; but before he 
sat down he stamped his foot thrice. 

His page Boniface appeared in the doorway. 

4 4 Boniface,’ ’ said the King, “I am going to the 
shrine of my sainted uncle at the Carmelite priory. 
Will you accompany me?” 

4 4 Very willingly, your Majesty,’ ’ said the page. 

4 4 Let us go together, and on foot. I want to com- 
mend our cause to the Blessed Olaf. By and by, per- 
haps, we will ride through the city in state. Just now 
I want to pray. Pray with me and for me, Boniface.” 

A few minutes later the two boys passed out of the 
castle and down the hill to the Carmelite priory. They 
did not know it, but they were followed by Magus and 
his nephew — who also went to the shrine. They and 
they only recognised the King of Great Potamia. In a 
few minutes they were all kneeling at the tomb of Olaf 
of the Silver Shoes. 

But as the King and his page left the church, 
Magus and his nephew knelt and kissed Hermann’s 
hand. 

44 I only went to assure your Majesty that I am your 
devoted servant,” whispered Magus. 4 4 Command me 
in any way you will. I am from Lesser Potamia, and 
what I do not know about the residence of the Queen 


THE COMING OF HERMANN 


161 


my nephew here can supply. I came to Bonhomy to 
give information to your royal grandsire and to im- 
plore his help.” 

‘ ‘ Are you Magus ? 9 9 whispered the King. 

“I am, your Majesty.” 

“Then you are the man I want. You will attend me 
in my journey to Lesser Potamia?” 

“I will indeed, sire.” 

‘ ‘ Good ! This afternoon I ride through the city. To- 
morrow we start for Lesser Potamia.” 

Magus and his nephew knelt, and the King with his 
page passed on. 

“I have made the saint a promise,” said the King 
to Boniface when they were alone. “I have promised 
Prince Olaf — or shall I say Brother Aquinas ? — that if 
I am successful in my enterprise I will institute a new 
order of chivalry in his honour. It shall be called the 
Order of the Silver Shoon, and he shall be its patron. 
In my dominions it shall take precedence of all other 
orders. Its badge shall be a silver sabot, and it shall 
be conferred only upon men who have practised the 
Seven Corporal Works of Mercy. Mere bravery in the 
field shall he otherwise rewarded. Even a bad man 
can on occasion be courageous in time of war. Physi- 
cal courage is a fairly common commodity. By all 
means let it have its reward. It is courage of another 


162 THE COMING OF HERMANN 

and of a higher order that I want to honour and to dis- 
tinguish. ’ ’ 

‘ 1 That is a beautiful idea, sire,” said Boniface. 
“But what a pity it is your Majesty is not in possession 
of the shoes of Prince Olaf, or even of a portion of 
them. ’ * 

“I am thinking of asking my grandfather to give me 
a small portion of one of them, so that I can have it 
inserted in a splendid pair that I will have made as the 
insignia of the new order.” 

That afternoon King Hermann rode in state through 
the city, attended by his suite and the bodyguard of 
boy-soldiers. The people of Bonhomy received him 
with great enthusiasm. Every street was illuminated, 
and the applause of the people was thrilling. 

That evening at the castle there was a grand ban- 
quet, and the young sovereign sat at the right hand of 
the King of Bonhomy — who toward the end of the din- 
ner began to speak to his royal guest of Prince Olaf. 

King Hermann listened with great respect, and then 
explained to his grandfather the details of the new 
order of chivalry he hoped to found. This led the old 
King to relate the story of the duplicate silver shoes, 
and the report that Magus had made upon them. 

“Grandsire,” said Hermann, “it is quite clear that 
this whilom silversmith is a villain. When I get to 


THE COMING OF HERMANN 


163 


Lesser Potamia I shall regard the haunts of Joel as 
so many places to be searched by the civil officers. It 
may be we shall still find the actual shoes that Olaf 
wore. And if, grandsire, I am fortunate enough to 
find them may I present your Majesty with one of them 
and retain the other ? ’ ’ 

4 4 You may indeed, Hermann,” said the King of Bon- 
homy. 4 4 And at my death I shall leave mine to the 
Carmelite priory.” 

Before Hermann retired to rest he sent for Magus. 

4 4 Is it true,” his Majesty enquired, 4 4 that a 
deputation from Lesser Potamia was here very re- 
cently ? ’ ’ 

4 4 It is true, sire, ’ ’ said Magus. 4 4 Moreover, its mem- 
bers are still in the city. Knowing that your Majesty 
was expected, though they left the castle they did not 
leave the town.” 

4 4 Do you know where they are lodging?” 

44 I do, sire.” 

4 4 At eight in the morning I should like to see them. 
Perhaps they are already provided with horses?” 

4 4 They are, sire. ’ ’ 

4 4 In that case they may join our train.” 

4 4 They will follow your Majesty wherever you go.” 

4 4 And you, Magus, and your nephew?” 

4 4 We are your Majesty’s devoted servants.” 


164 


THE COMING OF HERMANN 


1 * We will start as soon as may be. Is it possible for 
us to reach Lesser Potamia by sundown ? ’ ’ 

4 i It is quite possible, sire, because, as your Majesty 
is aware, this town is not many miles from the fron- 
tier. * ’ 

“I appoint you my aide-de-camp , ’ 9 said the King. 


CHAPTER XV 


DELIVEBANOE 

r^ROM the first year of her reign Queen Marabout 
A had, as we have said, shown the greatest hostility 
to all who had tried to hinder her vagaries, or to in- 
duce her to act like a Christian sovereign. Naturally 
enough, the clergy held the first place in her disesteem. 
The very sight of a priest vexed her. In none of her 
peregrinations had she ever sought a confessor ; rarely 
had she heard Mass, and as her journeyings were very 
frequent she had little by little given up the practice 
of her religion long before she lent an ear to the teach- 
ing of Luther and of his followers. In such circum- 
stances her actual apostasy was only a matter of time. 

From the beginning Joel had marked her out as one 
of those silly, frivolous young women who are so much 
esteemed by men who have things to sell, and who 
prove such easy dupes to those whose minds are filled 
with craft and who possess a certain strength of pur- 
pose. Cleverly enough Joel had laid his plans. To 
tempt and to dazzle a girl like Marabout with pretty 
stones was sufficiently simple; to place her under an 
obligation to himself was easy enough ; to win her con- 
105 


166 


DELIVERANCE 


fidence was not a hard task. Everything else, honours 
and dignities, titles and emoluments, followed as nat- 
urally as possible. Then he played for the high stakes 
of her Majesty’s hand and won. But he was not content. 

He was an absolutely godless man, but sundry peeps 
into the heretical books the Queen thought were safely 
concealed, convinced him that there was something in 
this new religion that might possibly suit his purposes. 
Joel was in love with Martin Luther — the reformer 
who chanted the praises of “wine, women, and song.” 
His ambition was not yet satisfied. Lesser Potamia, of 
which he would be the actual ruler, was a small coun- 
try. What if, while imposing a new religion upon it, 
he could make it larger? What if he could make him- 
self a sort of Protestant Pope? Had not Henry of 
England done this? Was not the reigning Queen of 
that country a Protestant? Did not Protestantism 
make for commercial success? After his marriage why 
should he not try to come to an understanding with the 
new teachers who lived beyond the region of King 
Hermann? Was the boy-king’s position impregnable? 

Joel was by no means satisfied with Lesser Potamia, 
and if only he played his cards well he might yet add 
Great Potamia to his dominions. Surely he would be 
a match for a boy of sixteen ! 

So when the wedding ceremonies were over he pro- 


DELIVERANCE 


167 


posed to the Queen that they should hold a consultation 
with the heads of the Lutheran party and try to form 
a strong alliance against King Hermann, whose Cath- 
olicity was of such a very uncompromising type. If 
only Joel could induce the Lutheran clergy to aid him 
in starting a fund — it was certain that Lesser Pota- 
mia would be all the richer, even though the money 
were used only to pay the Queen’s debts, which were 
scandalously big. 

So instead of returning home immediately after the 
wedding, as they had intended to do, the royal couple 
travelled through the small Lutheran district of Ma- 
hemia, taking great care to conceal their rank from 
all except the Protestant nobles and ministers they 
called upon. In all cases they received a flattering 
welcome. 

But far away from Mahemia a much more flattering 
reception, and certainly a much more sincere one, was 
being given to a youthful king who was attended by a 
bodyguard of boy-soldiers. 

Scarcely indeed had King Hermann crossed the 
borders of Lesser Potamia than the inhabitants, beside 
themselves with joyful anticipation, ran to meet him. 
Their applause rent the air, while their prayers and 
appeals for the King’s help were incessant. 


168 


DELIVERANCE 


6 ‘ Stay with us, most noble King!” was the constant 
cry. ‘ ‘ Remain with us and see us righted ! ’ 9 

The farther Hermann rode into the country the 
greater became the enthusiasm of the inhabitants. 

“Be you our King!” now became the cry, and long 
before his Majesty reached the castle of Queen Mara- 
bout, “Long live our King!” was shouted at every 
step. 

Straight into the courtyard of the castle rode the 
King and his train, followed by a great crowd of peo- 
ple. Turning in his saddle the boy surveyed the people 
with a smile. Then raising his hand he commanded 
silence. 

“My friends,” he cried in his fresh, high voice, “you 
do me too much honour. I am not your King, nor will 
I ever consent to be the ruler of your country. But I 
am here to look after your interests and to see that 
your ancient rights are restored to you. I am here to 
see that no heretical ruler has place in this dominion. 
I remain here until the return of your lawful sover- 
eign, Queen Marabout. When that return may be I 
do not know; but I shall not leave your realm until I 
have had speech with your Queen. Meanwhile, in her 
name and at your invitation I take possession of this 
castle, and I wish to confer with any representative 
men you care to send me. Now, my friends, go quietly 


DELIVERANCE 


169 


to your homes, and rest assured that all your wrongs 
shall be righted.” 

To the King’s entry there had not been the slightest 
show of opposition. The drawbridge was down and 
the seneschal with his men were playing at bowls in an 
inner court. All the ladies and most of the pages who 
were not travelling with the Queen had gone to their 
homes for a holiday; Joel himself had suggested this 
as a means of keeping down the expenditure. So with 
the exception of his own workmen, one or two men-at- 
arms and servants, there were very few people living 
within the castle. 

It was night, and the King was weary, but as he leapt 
from his horse he called to him three persons who had 
been near him on his journey, the Burgomaster of Ap- 
burg, Magus and his nephew, and said to them in a 
low tone: 4 ‘Before I eat or sleep, I should like to be 
quite sure that all the dungeons in this castle are 
empty. I will not question the seneschal or his men ; I 
myself will inspect every cell and vault. Be good 
enough to accompany me.” 

Then calling up the seneschal the King said: “For 
the present I must deprive you of your keys. Order 
your men to provide more torches.” 

Bending his knee, the man immediately handed his 
heavy keys to the King, who placed them in the hands 


170 


DELIVERANCE 


of Magus, and proceeded to give instructions to his 
bodyguard. 

‘ ‘ To-night you must relieve one another in keeping 
watch and in guarding the castle. To-morrow my 
troops will be here to assist you. The measure is but 
a precautionary one ; the people of Lesser Potamia, as 
well as its army, are our friends. ’ ’ 

The place was now ablaze with torches. Calling to 
him the young jester the King bade him lead the way 
to the tower where he himself had been imprisoned. 

It stood in the inner court or ballium of the castle 
and was raised on an artificial mound ; in its lower por- 
tion was the dungeon. 

“Sire,” said young Marx the jester, “the steps are 
much worn here, but it may be better to inspect the 
dungeon first. It was in that I lay for six months. ’ 9 

“I pray God we may find it empty V 9 exclaimed the 
King as the door was unlocked and thrown open. It 
was a huge vault, its walls dripping with water, its floor 
covered with green slime. So dense was its darkness 
that at first seven or eight blazing torches seemed in- 
sufficient to light it. Its atmosphere was foul in the 
extreme. Happily it was quite empty. Several sets of 
fetters lay on the floor and, after looking about, the boy 
Marx found the iron collar and gyves that he himself 
had worn. The King looked at them and shuddered. 


DELIVERANCE 


171 


The young King’s face was very stern, but he said 
little as they left the dungeon and mounted to the 
ground floor. Here were three or four smaller cells, 
and in each of them lay a prisoner. In the first was a 
horse-boy, who was in such a deep sleep that for an in- 
stant the King hesitated to awaken him ; but when his 
Majesty saw that the lad wore a collar of iron and that 
he was chained to the wall, a warder was called and 
bidden to release the prisoner at once. 

In the second cell lay our old friend Master Crimson, 
very wide-awake indeed, for thick as were the walls of 
the tower his ears had caught the sound of unusual 
noises. Blinking his eyes in the torchlight, he raised 
himself on the straw and showed that his right hand 
was fettered by a heavy chain to his left ankle. When 
he saw Marx he burst into tears. The King himself 
took him by the hands and helped him to rise, saying, 
“ Don’t cry, my child; in a few minutes you will be 
free.” 

“May it please your Majesty,” said one of the sev- 
eral warders in attendance, “we have no keys of any 
of the fetters: they are all in the keeping of Count 
Joel.” 

“Then send for the smith instantly,” cried the King. 
“But there are still two more cells on this floor^ Doubt- 


less each has its tenant.” 


172 


DELIVERANCE 


“I grieve to say it, your Majesty,” put in the chief 
warder, 4 4 but they are each inhabited by a priest. The 
two chaplains of the castle have both been shut up 
here for some time past. I trust your Majesty will not 
blame us. The Queen has ordered us to obey Count 
Joel in all things. Willingly would I have removed the 
prisoners ’ irons if I had had the keys of them ; though 
to be sure some of the shackles are not locked but 
rivetted.” 

44 Quick, quick!” exclaimed the King; 4 4 this is no 
time for talking. Unlock the doors.” 

Entering the third cell his Majesty immediately bent 
his knee and said , 4 4 Give me your blessing, Father. Be 
so good as to attend me. I come to deliver you.” 

The dazed priest rose and lifted a manacled hand in 
benediction. 

Already the door of the fourth cell was opened, and 
the other priest stood on the threshold. Again the 
King knelt for a blessing. Blows of the hammer now 
made themselves heard in the tower : broken irons were 
falling on the floor. The King and his attendants were 
mounting the stairs to the first story, although the 
warders assured his Majesty that the remainder of the 
tower was empty. 

To the topmost story went the King, looking in 
every nook and corner. It was true that the cells were 


DELIVERANCE 


173 


empty, but his sharp eyes did not fail to note that 
every one of them showed that they had been tenanted 
very recently. Irons of every shape and sort, and of 
inconceivable weight, were lying on the floors, and 
from their brightness it was easy to see that they had 
all been worn quite lately. Moreover, scraps of food 
were scattered here and there, while black drops of 
what was certainly not ink sometimes stained the walls 
and pavements. In one room was an iron frame, a 
sort of stocks and pillory combined; another cell had 
a wooden whipping-post, with irons for hands and feet. 
Into one wall was fixed an iron collar, flanked with 
iron wristlets, and with iron rings at a little height 
from the floor; the outline of a boy’s figure was easily 
seen on the wall. 

Very dark grew the King’s face as he examined 
these things, and it was with a sigh of relief that he 
left the tower. Though the Chamberlain came to in- 
form his Majesty that supper was served in the great 
hall, he would not go to meat until he had seen that 
each of the lately-imprisoned was being well cared for. 

But at supper the King grew very cheerful. Having 
his chaplains on his right hand and the Burgomaster 
and Magus on his left, he chatted merrily of many 
things, but chiefly of the new Order of the Silver Shoon 
he was determined to found forthwith. 


174 


DELIVERANCE 


Marx, the young jester, had already made friends 
with the page Boniface — who was the King’s cup- 
bearer, but had been told to sit at table to-night instead 
of serving. All day had Boniface and Marx ridden to- 
gether, and now they sat side by side at the board ; but 
the jester was not very merry. He had not quite 
regained his strength, and the interior of Queen 
Marabout’s castle revived in him many painful 
memories. 

“ Where are our minstrels?” asked the King, when 
supper was all but ended. ‘ ‘ Mr. Sub-Dean, where are 
your singing-boys ? ” 

“Your Majesty,” answered the Sub-Dean, “the chil- 
dren were so weary I thought it better to give them 
food and to send them to rest.” 

‘ ‘ Quite right, ’ ’ said the King, * ‘ I am very glad. Poor 
lads, they had been on horseback all day. Have we 
any other minstrels at table? There is Boniface, of 
course, and Marx — do you sing, Master Jester?” 

“Yes, sire,” replied Marx modestly, “but I know no 
song that would be pleasing to your Majesty, and I 
have no lute with me. ’ ’ 

“You shall have a lute, Marx,” said the smiling 
King, ‘ ‘ and Boniface shall teach you some of his pretty 
ballads. Now, Boniface, get your instrument and give 
us one of your latest ditties.” 


DELIVERANCE 


175 


To a sweet old melody the boy sang the following : 

’Twas lilac and laburnum time, 

When hawthorn boughs are white, 

And leaves are clothing oak and lime 
With golden green and light, 

When quickly comes the cuckoo-chime 
As dies the short bring night. 

A page in blue and silver clad 
Went out to meet the morn ; 

His heart was very gay and glad 
Because the Day was born ; 

Lightly leapt the smiling lad — 

Alone, but not forlorn. 

As though the day had lately died 
The garden ways were mute ; 

i ‘ There cometh neither knight nor bride, 

And only throstles flute ; 

For thee, my Lady-Queen, ’ ’ he cried, 

4 4 1 ’ll sing unto my lute . 9 9 

He gaily tripped, this minstrel child, 

Away from rosy bowers, 

Leaving the maze of laurels wild 
And all the wealth of flowers : 

Pealing bells his steps beguiled 
Unto the abbey towers. 


176 


DELIVERANCE 


The light of dawn lay on his face, 

Its fire was in his e’en, 

He came unto a woodland space, 

He crossed the meadows green ; 

He sang, ‘ ‘ 0 Mary, full of grace, 

My Mother and my Queen!” 

He halted at the cloister gate : 

‘ ‘ Oh, but the world is fair ! 

Perchance ’twere well for me to wait?” 

He flashed to Heaven a prayer : . . . 
i i Better in early life than late 
The Master’s lot to share.” 

At eventide no minstrel stood 
Within the castle-hall : 

A smiling lad in cowl and hood 
Knelt in a lowly stall. 

He said, his eyes upon the Rood, 

‘ ‘ I have obeyed Thy call. ’ ’ 


CHAPTER XVI 


A SURPRISE 

rriHE King drank no wine, but sat for half an hour or 
A so after supper while Boniface and another page 
played and sang. When his Majesty rose from the 
table, Magus begged for a short private audience. 

“I would not trouble your Majesty at this hour,” 
he said, “if the matter were not of great importance. 
It relates to Joel’s workmen and to their shops. It 
will be well to watch the men and to have their tools 
and materials examined. They are the men Joel 
brought with him from Bonhomy and they are in his 
secrets. One of them is the fellow who gave false evi- 
dence in the trial of the young apprentices who are 
now among your Majesty’s singing children. If I may 
say so, I think it would be well to secure that man, 
and to set seals upon the rooms in which they 
work.” 

“Certainly,” said the King, “these things are of the 
utmost importance. I will see the men at once. Will 
you have the goodness to examine the workshops early 
to-morrow ? ’ ’ 

“To-night, sire, if you will permit me,” said Magus. 

177 


178 


A SURPRISE 


“If you are not too weary. And now I will send for 
the workmen. ’ 9 

When the men were brought into the hall the King 
saw at once that they were much frightened. For a 
moment he looked them over without speaking. Then, 
turning to the Burgomaster, his Majesty asked in a 
low voice which of the five men had given evidence at 
the trial of the apprentices. 

“The fellow with the scar on his cheek, your Maj- 
esty. He is probably the foreman and, in Joel’s ab- 
sence, the master of the rest.” 

The King made a sign to the foreman, at the same 
time giving orders to the guard that the four workmen 
should be arrested and kept in safe custody. The men 
immediately fell upon their knees and begged for 
mercy. 

“I will hear you to-morrow,” said the King; “to- 
night I want speech with your foreman.” 

The men were led away weeping and protesting, and 
the King addressed himself to the foreman. 

“You are the assistant of Joel the silversmith, are 
you not?” 

The man did not reply. 

“You are a native of Bonhomy, are you not?” 

The question was not answered. 

“Master Burgomaster,” said the King, turning to 


A SURPRISE 


179 


that official, “you recognise this fellow, do you 
not?” 

“I do, your Majesty.” 

“It is enough. Guards, take this man to the tower 
and let him be securely ironed,” commanded the King. 
“We will examine him to-morrow.” 

On the morrow, and for the first time for many 
weeks, Holy Mass was offered in the castle chapel. It 
was Saturday, and when the King had heard Mass at 
six o’clock — offered in honour of Our Blessed Lady — 
he went to his desk without breaking his fast. At 
eight o’clock, Magus was in attendance. 

1 ‘ Seals are upon every door and chest and cabinet of 
the mint, your Majesty,” began Magus, “and I am 
now about to test the various metals that Joel’s men 
have been using. As far as I have been able to make 
out there is little enough of gold and silver to be found 
in the workrooms. But there are several iron chests 
which are securely locked, and without your Majesty’s 
permission I will not break them open.” 

“Everything must be examined,” said the King. “I 
myself will go with you. Let some of my horsemen be 
sent for.” 

The first iron chest that yielded to the blows of the 
hammer was entirely filled with what appeared to 


180 


A SURPRISE 


be silver sabots. The King laughed heartily at the 
sight. 

“So, sol It seems that Master Joel is going to sup- 
ply the whole world with relics of my sainted uncle 
Olaf. What a precious scoundrel that silversmith 
is!” 

“Yes, sire,” answered Magus, taking up one of the 
shoes and scratching its surface; “these are similar 
to the shoes sent to the King of Bonhomy — iron or tin, 
thinly covered with silver . 9 1 

“They may be useful,” said the King. “But now, 
what of the other chests and presses?” 

After some time every lock was broken. One iron 
box was full of gold pieces — the old coinage of Lesser 
Potamia. Another contained the gold money of Bon- 
homy. Another was crammed with precious stones. 
The biggest of all was filled with cups and dishes of 
pure gold. 

“There is a small oak box here,” said the King, 
“clamped with iron and double-locked. Let us see 
what it holds.” 

It was some time before it could be opened, but when 
at length the lid yielded the King took from it — a pair 
of silver shoes. 

“Without doubt these are the genuine articles,” ex- 
claimed the King. “These are the shoes Prince Olaf 


A SURPRISE 


181 


wore. The marks you spoke of are upon them. These 
I myself will carry away.” 

Small heaps of the new and spurious coinage were 
lying about, and Magus showed the King that some of 
them could be bent like a piece of tin, while others 
could be broken in two with thumb and finger. 

“It suffices,” said the King at length. 4 4 Now I 
must parade my guards and give them orders for the 
day. I trust my troops will arrive before nightfall, 
then shall I sing Vespers of Our Lady with a thankful 
heart.” 

The chapel bell was tolling for Vespers when the 
soldiers arrived, and, after greeting them and issuing 
certain orders, the King and his suite went to their 
Evensong. 

Late that night and after the King had left the hall 
for his bedchamber, word was brought to him that a 
courier had just arrived to announce the return on the 
morrow of the King and Queen of Lesser Potamia. 

4 4 Let the man be well treated,” said Hermann, 4 4 but 
on no account permit him to leave the castle. ’ ’ 

Then the King sent for his confessor. 

On the following morning, which was Sunday, the 
King received Holy Communion at the first Mass, re- 
maining in the chapel to assist at the High Mass, which 
was performed with much solemnity. 


182 


A SURPRISE 


His Majesty had scarcely left the chapel when Boni- 
face came to him to say that from one of the towers 
Queen Marabout’s carriage had been sighted. 

In a few seconds Hermann’s troops lined the castle 
from end to end. Within the great gate which was 
closed stood the King himself, attended by his guards, 
the Apburg Burgomaster on his right hand, and Ma- 
gus on his left. Everything had been arranged to give 
the Queen and Joel a surprise reception. 

A profound silence now reigned throughout the 
castle. Rigid as steel stood the King — waiting. 

Presently to those near the gateway the sound of 
wheels could be heard. The drawbridge was quickly 
raised. The great doors were flung open. The car- 
riage drove over the drawbridge — which was immedi- 
ately lowered. 

Joel had already stepped out of the coach and was 
extending his hand to the Queen, when two soldiers 
stept forward suddenly, each grasping one of his arms. 
Almost before he could cry out he found himself being 
dragged at great speed between two lines of soldiers in 
the direction of the donjon keep. 

Meanwhile King Hermann was at the coach door 
bareheaded, and bowing low before the Queen. 
Scarcely knowing what was happening, her Majesty 
alighted and began to look for her husband. 


A SURPRISE 


183 


“What is all this?” she cried at length. “What 
does it all mean? And where is — the King-Con- 
sort?” 

“Your Majesty’s apartments are prepared,” began 
the King. “Your ladies will be in attendance upon 
you. But for the present I must beg your Majesty not 
to leave those apartments, except to take air and ex- 
ercise in the pleasaunce of the inner garden. I de- 
plore this seeming discourtesy and the necessity for it, 
but I am here by the will of God and of your people, 
and to defend you from a man who, I fear, is now your 
husband. ’ ’ 

The King stepped aside and made a sign to the two 
maids-of-honour in attendance; then he bowed again 
and waited for the Queen to proceed. So bewildered 
was she that, though her lips seemed to move, no au- 
dible word fell from them. As she walked forward 
she saw the two long lines of soldiers standing at at- 
tention like so many statues. Her face became very 
pale; tears fell from her eyes, but she could find no 
words. 

The King immediately summoned a council. 

“I trust the traitor Joel is in safe custody?” his 
Majesty enquired when all had assembled. 

“Your Majesty’s orders have been carried out to 
the letter, ’ ’ said Magus. ‘ 4 The Burgomaster and I did 


184 


A SURPRISE 


not leave him until he was heavily ironed and carried 
to the lower dungeon. ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ It is well,” said the King. “We will not keep him 
waiting long for his trial. Let us now deliberate. This 
afternoon I received the representatives of the people 
of Lesser Potamia.” 

The council sat until noonday and then adjourned 
until after dinner. Eventually it was decided that the 
trial should begin on the following morning. 

But before the day was over the King examined 
JoePs five workmen. It was an easy task. Seeing that 
their case was a desperate one, each now vied with the 
other in vilifying their master. The foreman con- 
fessed that he had been bribed by his master to bear 
false witness against the young apprentices. Con- 
fronted with the silver shoes found in the small oak 
chest, he admitted that they were the pair originally 
made for Prince Olaf and bought back from the Prior 
by Joel. 

A little later the King sent for the Queen’s courier. 
From this man his Majesty heard particulars of the 
marriage, which had been performed by a heretical 
minister. The courier also said that JoePs son would 
arrive in a few days, bringing with him two Zwinglian 
chaplains. 

As a matter of fact, JoePs son was never heard of 
again. 


CHAPTER XVII 


BROUGHT TO BOOK 

T^or years past Lesser Potamia had known nothing 
A of justice. Absolute monarch as the Queen was, 
she had changed her chief justices and judges at her 
pleasure, often, as it was afterward proved, selling at 
a price the highest offices in the land. 

At the council King Hermann had held with the 
people on the afternoon of Sunday, he begged them to 
name any judges in whose probity they had sufficient 
trust. They were unanimous in declaring that the one 
man in that neighbourhood in whom they had entire 
confidence was Magus. It was in vain that the good 
man pleaded his ignorance of the law; there were no 
subtleties in the case, he was reminded; besides, he 
would be assisted by the Burgomaster from Bonhomy, 
and a jury of Lesser Potamians would give the verdict. 

On the morning of Monday the Mass of the Holy 
Ghost was solemnly sung, and at nine o’clock the trial 
began. Cursing and blaspheming, Joel was brought 
into the judgment hall — which to his horror was hung 
in black and lighted with tapers and torches. In the 
centre of the hall lay the heaps of light money he had 

185 


186 


BROUGHT TO BOOK 


coined, the chests of old gold pieces he had forced the 
people to exchange for the new ones, the chests of 
plate and jewels, the pile of spurious silver shoes with 
which he had hoped to impose upon the devout. 

King Hermann sat by the judge, who was supported 
by the Burgomaster. 

So great was the noise made by Joel, and so horrible 
were his imprecations that, almost before the trial had 
begun, Magus told him that if he was not silent he 
would be gagged. 

The principal witnesses against him were his 
own workmen. But when four of them had been ex- 
amined at great length, and the foreman was taken 
from the bar (where he had been standing as a pris- 
oner with his master), in order to give his evidence, 
Joel’s rage grew so frantic that a gag was promptly 
thrust into his mouth. Then he began to shake 
and to rattle his irons, but from this he was easily 
restrained. 

It was evening before the examination of the wit- 
nesses was concluded, and then the judge, addressing 
the prisoner, from whose mouth the gag had now been 
taken, asked him if he wished to call any witnesses for 
the defence? — If there was anybody in Bonhomy, or 
in Lesser Potamia, or elsewhere he could employ to 
speak in his favour? — If he would care to be taken to 


BROUGHT TO BOOK 


187 


Bonhomy and tried by a jury of his own countrymen ? 
— If he wished to appeal to the King of Bonhomy? 

All these questions Joel answered with a vociferous 
“No.” 

There was a pause in the proceedings while the 
judge held a whispered consultation with the King 
and the Burgomaster. The court was now very still 
and Joel himself was silent. 

Suddenly the hangings at the upper end of the hall 
were pushed aside and two boys entered, hand in hand, 
looking pale and frightened, but resolute. They wore 
the dress of the King’s children of the chapel. Their 
eyes were fixed upon the prisoners. 

Joel had been hiding his face in his hands, but hear- 
ing the silence broken by footsteps he looked up. His 
eyes met those of the two boy apprentices he had tried 
so hard to deprive of their innocent lives. It was too 
much for the wretched man. A hoarse shriek rang 
through the hall, and he cried out again and again: 
“Take them away! Take them away! They torture 
me! I am guilty — guilty — guilty! I confess all. 
There is no need to prolong the trial. ’ 9 

Tremblingly the boys withdrew. The judge summed 
up at great length. When he had finished it wanted 
but an hour to midnight. Magus turned to the jury. 

“There is little need for me to speak to you at great 


188 


BROUGHT TO BOOK 


length,” he said. 4 ‘To the many counts of the indict- 
ment the prisoners plead guilty. If any of you think 
this trial has been too hurried I am willing to adjourn 
it. By the ancient laws of this country I, as judge, 
have peculiar privileges, and I can hear any appeal 
the prisoners care to make — for a new trial, e.g. — even 
before you consider your verdict. Prisoners at the 
bar, I ask you again if you wish the trial to be ad- 
journed, or to be opened afresh, or to be transferred to 
another place?” 

1 ‘ End it ! End it ! ” shouted Joel, “lam guilty. ’ ’ 

“I, too, am guilty,” said the foreman. 

Once again the judge spoke to the jury, but they had 
no need to retire or to consider their verdict, and with- 
out an instants delay they returned it, saying: “We 
find both prisoners guilty upon every charge. ’ ’ 

Without comment and without parley the judge 
passed upon both men the sentence of death. As to the 
mode of execution, he added, though for some of the 
crimes the prisoners had committed death by fire was 
ordered by the law of the country, he would take coun- 
sel before making a decision. 

Three days later, in the presence of an enormous 
crowd, Joel and his foreman were hanged upon a high 
gallows erected upon an open plain not far from the 


BROUGHT TO BOOK 


189 


castle. To the last moment Joel was impenitent, de- 
claring that no matter how many priests, or even min- 
isters of the new religion, came to him he would not 
hear them. The foreman willingly made his confes- 
sion and prepared himself for death. 

On the day before the execution Queen Marabout 
was conveyed in a coach, attended by two of her ladies, 
and guarded by a band of soldiers, to the Benedictine 
convent of the Abbess Magdalene, that lay some thirty 
or forty miles from the castle. There she lived as a 
prisoner and as a guest, for many long years, and there 
she died, giving much trouble to the abbess and her 
nuns, but showing great fear and some penitence at the 
approach of death. 

Willingly would the people of Lesser Potamia have 
had King Hermann to reign over them, but he would 
not even accept the protectorate of their country. Ma- 
gus, he told them, was the one man who was in every 
way fitted to be their ruler. They might call him King, 
or judge, or protector, or president, but he was the 
saviour of their country and was entirely worthy of 
their confidence. 

So, greatly to his sorrow, and not without making 
several vain attempts to leave the country, Magus was 
crowned King. Long and happy was his reign. His 
first step was to form a big standing army for his 


190 


BROUGHT TO BOOK 


country’s safety; then he invited to his court, or in- 
duced to settle within his realm, many men of letters 
and of science, learned theologians and scholars. So 
the shadow of heresy never fell upon his land. 

“Ignorance,” he was wont to say, “is the mother of 
error and of superstition. Through being learned no 
man ever lost his Faith. Through pride, and from the 
partial knowledge that puffeth up, many have per- 
ished. 9 ’ 

Magus lived on pleasant terms with the Kings of 
Bonhomy and Great Potamia, and greatly encouraged 
the pilgrimages that his people were in the habit of 
making to the tomb of Prince Olaf, the cause of whose 
beatification he did much to further. 

When King Hermann had visited every part of his 
territory and had shown himself to all his people, the 
first thing he did was to found the now famous Order 
of the Silver Shoon. In it were three grades, that of 
the knights, the squires, and the pages. One of the first 
to receive the order of the Knighthood of the Silver 
Shoon was King Magus. At a great function held in 
the cathedral, the new order was placed under the pro- 
tection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and of the 
Blessed Olaf. Every one of its members pledged him- 
self to perform every day of his life, one or more of 
the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Boys of 


BROUGHT TO BOOK 


191 


twelve were received into the grade of pages ; at eigh- 
teen they became squires ; at the age of twenty-one they 
might be knighted. As the King bestowed it with cir- 
cumspection, and for personal virtue and merit, and 
not at all on account of rank and position, much less 
of riches, it became more esteemed than the Order of 
the Golden Fleece. Its livery was of blue velvet and 
silk, its badge the silver shoe. Its banner and shield 
were of blue, charged with the silver sabot. 

The first boy received among its pages was Boni- 
face. His friend Marx, at one time Queen Marabout’s 
jester, was already wearing the habit of St. Benedict. 


CHAPTEK XVIII 


EPILOGUE 


decade of years or so before the close of the 



sixteenth century there was a day in the 
history of Great Potamia that no inhabitant of that 
famous land ever forgot. It was the day of King 
Hermann’s marriage. He had reached his twenty- 
first year. Boniface had now become the King’s sec- 


retary. 


Since the day of his coronation, when he was fif- 
teen and a half, his Majesty had travelled much; had 
seen many lands, including his own; had met many 
fair and gracious ladies. But never had he met a 
maiden so sweet, so gentle, so wise, or so devout as the 
Lady Elizabeth. For several years past she had been 
one of his mother’s maids-of-honour, and though until 
lately his intercourse with her had been very slight, 
he had never forgotten the impression she had made 
upon his young heart. The memory of her had always 
been to him a sweet and holy one, and though at first 
the Queen-Mother was disposed to regret his choice, 
the more she saw of the prudent and pious damsel the 
more her Majesty loved and honoured her. 


EPILOGUE 


193 


So again the great cathedral doors were thrown 
open to the people for a ceremony not less mag- 
nificent, and certainly not less touching, than that 
of the coronation itself. The streets of the city 
were almost hidden under clouds of blue and silver 
hangings, for it had become known that these were 
the young Queen’s favourite colours, as well as the 
King’s. 

On that day the guard of honour was entirely 
composed of the knights, squires, and pages of the 
Order of the Silver Shoon. Everywhere the banner 
of the Order floated, mingling with the white and 
gold of the papal flag. The Holy Father had sent 
his Cardinal-Secretary of State to perform the cer- 
emony. 

Throughout the length and breadth of the land there 
was not a man, woman, or child who did not rejoice 
that their beloved young King had chosen for his 
bride a maiden so holy and so wise. Historians tell us 
that the joy of the people of Great Potamia was in- 
describable ; and, what is of greater moment, they add 
that until the last day of her life, as well as that of 
King Hermann, the nation did not cease to bless God 
for sending them so gracious and so devoted a King 
and Queen. 

It was on the day of the wedding itself, before the 


194 


EPILOGUE 


end of the great court banquet, that the King an- 
nounced to his guests that his dear bride intended 
to institute a new Order for ladies. The Dames 
of the Silver Shoon were, like their fathers, hus- 
bands, and brothers, to pledge themselves to the 
practice of all the works of mercy, both corporal and 
spiritual. 

In a memorable oration his Majesty pointed out that 
the true greatness of a nation depended in no wise 
upon its commercial prosperity, upon its successes in 
war, or upon the vastness of its foreign possessions. 
Virtue, and virtue alone, made a nation truly great. 
But without a right Faith, virtue could never be strong 
or lasting. They had the Faith, the Faith of the One 
Church founded by Jesus Christ. In order to pre- 
serve that Faith they must practise its precepts. They 
could not practise its precepts unless they performed 
the works of mercy, each according to his opportunity 
and his ability. The order he had founded for men 
and boys was for the purpose of distinguishing those 
who were notably faithful in feeding the hungry, in 
clothing the naked, and in succouring all who were in 
any distress of mind or body. Her gracious Majesty, 
his beloved Queen, desired to do for maids and matrons 
what he had already done for boys and men. Under 
the patronage of the Holy Mother of God, the Queen 


EPILOGUE 


195 


of Mount Carmel, and his sainted relative the Blessed 
Olaf, he prayed that Great Potamia might be known 
through all ages as the land in which the worth of 
works of mercy was esteemed above all honours and 
riches and dignities, the land in which the highest pos- 
sible distinction would ever be — admission to the Or- 
der of the Silver Shoon. 


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books are exchanged in this way every month till 
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a u Mo„Th' Catholic Circulating Library 1“°^ 


JUVENILE BOOKS 

20 Copyrighted Stories for the Young, by the Best Authors 
Special net price, $10.00 

You get the books at once, and have the use of them, while making easy 

payments 

Read explanation of our Circulating Library plan on first page 

Juvenile Library A 

TOM PLAYFAIR; OR, MAKING A START. By Rev. F. J. Finn, S.J. 
“The best boy’s book that ever came from the press.” 

THE CAVE BY THE BEECH FORK. By Rev. H. S. Spalding, S.J. “Thi* 
is a story full of go and adventure.” 

HARRY RUSSELL, A ROCKLAND COLLEGE BOY. By Rev. J. E. Copus, 
S.J. “Father Copus takes the college hero where Father Finn has left 
him, through the years to graduation.” 

CHARLIE CHITTYWICK. By Rev. David Bearne, S.J. Father Bearne 
shows a wonderful knowledge and fine appreciation of boy character. 
There is no mark of mawkisnness in the book. 

NAN NOBODY. By Mary T. Waggaman. “Keeps one fascinated till the 
last page is reached.” 

LOYAL BLUE AND ROYAL SCARLET. By Marion A. Taggart. “Will 
help keep awake the strain of hero worship and ideal patriotism.” 

THE GOLDEN LILY. By Katharine T. Hinkson. “Another proof of the 
author’s wonderful genius.” 

THE MYSTERIOUS DOORWAY. By Anna T. Sadlier. “A bright, spark- 
ling book.” 

OLD CHARLMONT’S SEED-BED. By Sara T. Smith. “A delightful story 
of Southern school life.” 

THE MADCAP SET AT ST. ANNE’S. By Marion J. Brunowe. “Plenty 
of fun and frolic, with high moral principle.” ’ 

BUNT AND BILL. By Clara Mulholland. “There are passages of true 
pathos and humor in this pretty tale.” 

THE FLOWER OF THE FLOCK. By Maurice F. Egan. “They are by no 
means faultless young people and their hearts lie in the right places.” 

PICKLE AND PEPPER. By Ella L. Dorsey. “This story is clever and 
witty — there is not a dull page.” 

A HOSTAGE OF WAR. By Mary G. Bonesteel. “A wide-awake story, 
brimful of incident and easy humor.” 

AN EVERY DAY GIRL. By Mary T. Crowley. “One of the few tales that 
will appeal to the heart of every girl.” 

AS TRUE AS GOLD. By Mary E. Mannix. “This book will make a name 
for itself.” 

AN HEIR OF DREAMS. By S. M. O’Malley. “The book is destined to 
become a true friend of our boys.” 

THE MYSTERY OF HORNBY HALL. By Anna T. Sadlier. Sure to stir 
the blood of every real boy and to delight with its finer touches the heart 
of every true girl.” 

TWO LITTLE GIRLS. By Lillian Mack. “A real tale of real children.” 

RIDINGDALE FLOWER SHOW. By Rev. David Bearne, S.J. “His sym- 
pathy with boyhood is so evident and his understanding so perfect.” 


2 


20 Copyrighted Stories for the Young 

By the Best Catholic Writers 
Special Net Price, $ 10.00 
$1.00 down, $i.oo a month 

Read explanation of our Circulating Library plan on preceding pages 

Juvenile Library B 

HIS FIRST AND LAST APPEARANCE. By Rev. F. J. Finn, S.J. Pro- 
fusely illustrated. “A delightful story by Father Finn, which will be 
popular with the girls as well as with the boys.” 

THE SHERIFF OF THE BEECH FORK. By Rev. H. S. Spalding, S.J. 
“From the outset the reader’s attention is captivated and never lags.” 

SAINT CUTHBERT’S. By Rev. J. E. Copus, S.J. “A truly inspiring tale, 
full of excitement.” 

THE TAMING OF POLLY. By Ella Loraine Dorsev. “Polly with her 
cool head, her pure heart and stern Western sense of justice.” 

STRONG-ARM OF AVALON. By Mary T. Waggaman. “Takes hold of the 
interest and of the heart and never lets go.” 

JACK HILDRETH ON THE NILE. By C. May. “Courage, truth, honest 
dealing with friend and foe.” 

A KLONDIKE PICNIC. By Eleanor C. Donnelly. “Alive with the charm 
that belongs to childhood.” 

A COLLEGE BOY. By Anthony Yorke. “Healthy, full of life, full of 
incident.” 

THE GREAT CAPTAIN. By Katharine T. Hinkson. “Makes the most 
interesting and delightful reading.” 

THE YOUNG COLOR GUARD. By Mary G. Bonesteel. “The attractive- 
ness of the tale is enhanced by the realness that pervades it.” 

THE HALDEMAN CHILDREN. By Mary E. Mannix. “Full of people 
entertaining, refined, and witty.” 

PAULINE ARCHER. By Anna T. Sadlier. “Sure to captivate the hearts 
of all juvenile readers.” 

THE ARMORER OF SOLINGEN. By W. Herchenbach. “Cannot fail to 
inspire honest ambition.” 

THE INUNDATION. By Canon Schmid. “Sure to please the young 
readers for whom it is intended.” 

THE BLISSYLVANIA POST-OFFICE. By Marion A. Taggart. “Pleasing 
and captivating to young people.” 

DIMPLING’S SUCCESS. By Clara Mulholland. “Vivacious and natural 
and cannot fail to be a favorite.” 

BISTOURI- By A. Melandri. “How Bistouri traces out the plotters and 
foils them makes interesting reading.” 

FRED’S LITTLE DAUGHTER. By Sara T. Smith. “The heroine wins her 
way into the heart of every one.” 

THE SEA-GULL’S ROCK. By J. Sandeau. “The intrepidity of the little 
hero will appeal to every boy.” 

JUVENILE ROUND TABLE. First Series. A collection of twenty stories 
by the foremost writers, with many full-page illustrations. 


3 


20 Copyrighted Stories for the Young 

By the Best Catholic Writers 
Special Net Price, $10.00 
$1.00 down, $i.oo a month 

Read explanation of our Circulating Library plan on preceding pages 


Juvenile Library C 

PERCY WYNN; OR, MAKING A BOY OF HIM. By Rev. F. J. Finn, S.J. 
“The most successful Catholic juvenile published.” 

THE RACE FOR COPPER ISLAND. By Rev. H. S. Spalding, S.J. 
“Father Spalding’s descriptions equal those of Cooper.” 

SHADOWS LIFTED. By Rev. J. E. Copus, S.J. “We know of no books 
more delightful and interesting.” 

HOW THEY WORKED THEIR WAY, AND OTHER STORIES. By 
Maurice F. Egan. “A choice collection of stories by one of the most 
popular writers.” 

WINNETOU, THE APACHE KNIGHT. By C. May. “Chapters of breath- 
less interest.” 

MILLY AVELING. By Sara Trainer Smith. “The best story Sara Trainer 
Smith has ever written.” 

THE TRANSPLANTING OF TESSIE. By Mary T. Waggaman. “An ex- 
cellent girl’s story.” 

THE PLAYWATER PLOT. By Mary T. Waggaman. “How the plotters 
are captured and the boy rescued makes a very interesting story.” 

AN ADVENTURE WITH THE APACHES. By Gabriel Ferry. 

PANCHO AND PANCHITA. By Mary E. Mannix. “Full of color and 
warmth of life in old Mexico.” 

RECRUIT TOMMY COLLINS. By Mary G. Bonesteel. “Many a boyish 
heart will beat in envious admiration of little Tommy.” 

BY BRANSCOME RIVER. By Marion A. Taggart. “A creditable book in 
every way.” 

THE QUEEN’S PAGE. By Katharine Tynan Hinkson. “Will arouse the 
young to interest in historical matters and is a good story well told.” 

MARY TRACY’S FORTUNE. By Anna T. Sadlier. “Sprightly, interesting 
and well written.” 

BOB-O’LINK. By Mary T. Waggaman. “Every boy and girl will be de- 
lighted with Bob-o’Link.” 

THREE GIRLS AND ESPECIALLY ONE. By Marion A. Taggart. “There 
is an exquisite charm in the telling.” 

WRONGFULLY ACCUSED. By W. Herchenbach. “A simple tale, enter- 
tainingly told.” 

THE CANARY BIRD. By Canon Schmid. “The story is a fine one and 
will be enjoyed by boys and girls.” 

FIVE O’CLOCK STORIES. By S. H. C. J. “The children who are blessed 
with such stories have much to be thankful for.” 

JUVENILE ROUND TABLE. Second Series. A collection of twenty stories 
by the foremost writers, with many full-page illustrations. 


4 


20 Copyrighted Stories for the Young 

By the Best Catholic Writers 
Special Net Price, $ 10.00 
$1.00 down, $i.oo a month 

Read explanation of our Circulating Library plan on preceding pages 


Juvenile Library D 

THE WITCH OF RIDINGDALE. By Rev. David Bearne, S.J. “Here is a 
story for boys that bids fair to equal any of Father Finn’s successes.” 

THE MYSTERY OF CLEVERLY. By George Barton. There is a peculiar 
charm about this novel that the discriminating reader will ascribe to the 
author’s own personality. 

HARMONY FLATS. By C. S. Whitmore. The characters in this story are 
all drawn true to life, and the incidents are exciting. 

WAYWARD WINIFRED. By Anna T. Sadlier. A story for girls. Its 
youthful readers will enjoy the vivid description, lively conversations, and 
plenty of striking incidents, all winding up happily. 

TOM LOSELY : BOY. By Rev. J. E. Copus, S.J. Illustrated. The writer 
knows boys and boy nature, and small-boy nature too. 

MORE FIVE O’CLOCK STORIES. By S. H. C. J. “The children who are 
blessed with such stories have much to be thankful for.” 

JACK O’LANTERN. By Mary T. Waggaman. This book is alive with in- 
terest. It is full of life and incident. 

THE BERKLEYS. By Emma Howard Wight. A truly inspiring tale, full 
of excitement. There is not a dull page. 

LITTLE MISSY. By Mary T. Waggaman. A charming story for children 
which will be enjoyed by older folk as well. 

TOM’S LUCK-POT. By Mary T. Waggaman. Full of fun and charming 
incidents — a book that every boy should read. 

CHILDREN OF CUPA. By Mary E. Mannix. One of the most thoroughly 
unique and charming books that has found its way to the reviewing desk 
in many a day. 

FOR THE WHITE ROSE. By Katharine T. Hinkson. This book is some- 
thing more than a story; but, as a mere story, it is admirably well written. 

THE DOLLAR HUNT. From the French by E. G. Martin. Those who wish 
to get a fascinating tale should read this story. 

THE VIOLIN MAKER. From the original of Otto v. Schaching, by Sara 
Trainer Smith. There is much truth in this simple little story. 

“JACK.” By S. H. C. J. As loving and lovable a little fellow as there is in 
the world is “Jack ,’ r the “pickle,” the “ragamuffin,” the defender of per- 
secuted kittens and personal principles. 

A SUMMER AT WOODVILLE. By Anna T. Sadlier. This is a beautiful 
book, in full sympathy with and delicately expressive of the author’s 
creations. 

DADDY DAN. By Mary T. Waggaman. This is a rattling good story for 

boys. 

THE BELL FOUNDRY. By Otto v. Schaching. So interesting that the 
reader will find difficulty in tearing himself away. 

TOORALLADDY. By Julia C. Walsh. An exciting story of the varied 
fortunes of an orphan boy from abject poverty in a dismal cellar to success. 

JUVENILE ROUND TABLE. Third Series. A collection of twenty stories 
by the foremost writers. 


6 


D a u MoX Catholic Circulating Library ££*>£& 


NOVELS 

12 OopyriKhxtecl Novels by the Best Authors 

Special Prick, $12.00 

You get the books at once, and have the use of them while making easy 

payments 

Read explanation of our Circulating Library plan on first page 


Library of Novels No. I 

THE RULER OF THE KINGDOM. By Grace Keon. “Will charm any 
reader.” 

KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS. By J. Harrison. “A real, true life 
history, the kind one could live through and never read it for romance.” 

IN THE DAYS OF KING HAL. By Marion A. Taggart. Illustrated. “A 
tale of the time of Henry V. of England, full of adventure and excite- 
ment.” 

HEARTS OF GOLD. By I. Edhor. “It is a tale that will leave its reader 
the better for knowing its heroine, her tenderness and her heart of gold.” 

THE HEIRESS OF CRONENSTEIN. By Countess Hahn-Hahn. “An ex. 
quisite story of life and love, told in touchingly simpie words.” 

THE PILKINGTON HEIR. By Anna T. Sadlier. “Skill and strength are 
shown in this story. The plot is well constructed and the characters 
vividly differentiated.” 

THE OTHER MISS LISLE. A Catholic novel of South African life. By 
M. C. Martin. A powerful story by a writer of distinct ability. 

IDOLS; OR, THE SECRET OF THE RUE CHAUSSEE D’ANTIN. By 
Raoul de Navery. “The story is a remarkably clever one; it is well con- 
structed and evinces a master hand.” 

THE SOGGARTH AROON. By Rev. Joseph Guinan, C.C. A capital Irish 
story. 

THE VOCATION OF EDWARD CONWAY. By Maurice F. Egan. “This 
is a novel of modern American life. The scene is laid in a pleasant colony 
of cultivated people on the banks of the Hudson, not far from West Point.” 

A WOMAN OF FORTUNE. By Christian Reid. “That great American 
Catholic novel for which so much inquiry is made, a story true in its 
picture of Americans at home and abroad.” 

PASSING SHADOWS. By Anthony Yorke. “A thoroughly charming 
story. It sparkles from first to last with interesting situations and 
dialogues that are full of sentiment. There is not a slow page.” 


12 Copyrighted Novels by the Best Authors 
Special Net Price, $12.00 
$1.00 down, $i.oo a month 

Read explanation of our Circulating Library plan on first page. 


Library of Novels No. II 

THE SENIOR LIEUTENANT’S WAGER, and Other Stories. 30 stories by 
SO of the foremost Catholic writers. 

A DAUGHTER OF KINGS. By Katharine Tynan Hinkson. “The book is 
most enjoyable.” 

THE WAY THAT LED BEYOND. By J. Harrison. “The story does not 
drag, the plot is well worked out, and the interest endures to the very 
last page.” 

CORINNE’S VOW. By Mary T, Waggaman. With 16 full-page illustrations. 
“There is genuine artistic merit in its plot and life-story. It is full of 
vitality and action.” 

THE FATAL BEACON. By F. v. Brackel. “The story is told well and 
clearly, and has a certain charm that will be found interesting. The prin- 
cipal characters are simple, good-hearted people, and the heroine’s high 
sense of courage impresses itself upon the reader as the tale proceeds.” 

THE MONK’S PARDON : An Historical Romance of the Time of Philip IV. 
of Spain. By Raoul de Navery. “A story full of stirring incidents and 
written in a lively, attractive style.” 

PERE MONNIER’S WARD. By Walter Lecky. “The characters are life- 
like and there is a pathos in the checkered life of the heroine. Pere 
Monnier is a memory that will linger.” 

TRUE STORY OF MASTER GERARD. By Anna T. Sadlier. “One of the 
most thoroughly original and delightful romances ever evolved from the 
pen of a Catholic writer.” 

THE UNRAVELING OF A TANGLE. By Marion A. Taggart. With four 
full-page illustrations. “This story tells of the adventures of a young 
American girl, who, in order to get possession of a fortune left her by an 
uncle, whom she had never seen, goes to France.” 

THAT MAN’S DAUGHTER. By Henry M. Ross. “A well-told story of 
American life, the scene laid in Boston, New York and Califprnia. It is 
very interesting.” 

FABIOLA’S SISTER. (A companion volume to Cardinal Wiseman’s “Fa- 
biola.”) Adapted by A. C. Clarke. “A book to read — a worthy sequel 
to that masterpiece, ‘Fabiola.’ ” 

THE OUTLAW OF CAMARGUE: A Novel. By A. de Lamothe. “A capital 
novel with plenty ot go in it.” 


7 


12 


Copyrighted Novels by the Best Authors 

Special Net Price, $12.00 
$1.00 down, $i.oo a month 

Read explanation of our Circulating Library plan on first page. 


Library of Novels No. Ill 

“NOT A JUDGMENT.” By Grace Keon. “Beyond doubt the best Catholic 
novel of the year.” 

THE RED INN OF ST. LYPHAR. By Anna T. Sadlier. “A story of 
stirring times in France, when the sturdy Vendeans rose in defence of 
country and religion.” 

HER FATHER’S DAUGHTER. By Katharine Tynan Hinkson. “So 
dramatic and so intensely interesting that the reader will find it difficult 
to tear himself away from the story.” 

OUT OF BONDAGE. By M. Holt. “Once his book becomes known it will 
be read by a great many.” 

MARCELLA GRACE. By Rosa Mulholland. Mr. Gladstone called this 
novel a masterpiece. 

THE CIRCUS-RIDER’S DAUGHTER. By F. v. Brackel. This work has 
achieved a remarkable success for a Catholic novel, for in less than a year 
three editions were printed. 

CARROLL DARE. By Mary T. Waggaman. Illustrated. “A thrilling story, 
with the dash of horses and the clash of swords on every side.” 

DION AND THE SIBYLS. By Miles Keon. “Dion is as brilliantly, as 
accurately and as elegantly classical, as scholarly in style and diction, as 
fascinating in plot and as vivid in action as Ben Hur.” 

HER BLIND FOLLY. By H. M. Ross. A clever story with an interesting 
and well-managed plot and many striking situations. 

MISS ERIN. By M. E. Francis. “A captivating tale of Irish life, redolent 
of genuine Celtic wit, love and pathos.” 

MR. BILLY BUTTONS. By Walter Lecky. “The figures who move in 
rugged grandeur through these pages are as fresh and unspoiled in their 
way as the good folk of Drumtochty.” 

CONNOR D’ARCY’S STRUGGLES. By Mrs. W. M. Bertholds. “A story 
of which the spirit is so fine and the Catholic characters so nobly con- 
ceived.” 


8 


Continuation Library 


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Each year we publish four new novels by the best Cath- 
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ordinary — not religious, but Catholic in tone and feeling. 
They are issued in the best modern style. 

We ask you to give us a standing order for these novels. 
The price is $1.25, which will be charged as each volume is 
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As a special inducement for giving us a standing order 
for the novels, we shall include free a subscription to 
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regular price of the Magazine is $2.00 a year. 

Thus for $5.00 a year— paid $1.25 at a time— you will get 
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9 


THE FAMOUS 


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LIBRARY OK 

SHORT STORIES 

BY A BRILLIANT ARRAY OF CATHOLIC AUTHORS 
Original Stories by 33 writers 

Four Handsome Volumes and Benziger’s Magazine for a Year at the 

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Anna T. Sadlier 
Mary E. Mannix 
Mary T. Waggaman 
Jerome Harte 
Mary G. Bonesteel 
Magdalen Rock 
Eugenie Uhlrich 
Alice Richardson 
Katharine Jenkins 
Mary Boyle O’Reilly 
Clara Mulholland 


STORIES BY 

Grace Keon 
Louisa Emily Dobree 
Theo. Gift 
Margaret E. Jordan 
Agnes M. Rowe 
Julia C. Walsh 
Madge Mannix 
Leigh Gordon Giltner 
Eleanor C. Donnelly 
Teresa Stanton 
H. J. Carroll 


Rev. T. J. Livingstone, S.J. 
Marion Ames Taggart 
Maurice Francis Egan 
Mary F. Nixon-Roulet 
Mrs. Francis Chadwick 
Catherine L. Meagher 
Anna Blanche McGill 
Mary Catherine Crowley 
Katherine Tynan-Hinkson 
Sallie Margaret O’Malley 
Emma Howard Wight 


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THE LIFE OF OUR LORD 

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AND OF HIS VIRGIN MOTHER MARY 

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BY 

Rev. RICHARD BRENNAN, LL.D. 


Quarto, half morocco, full gilt side, gilt edges, 900 pages, 
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New York: Cincinnati: Chicago: 

36-38 Barclay Street. 343 Main Street. 211-213 Madison Street. 


12 



R<W 30 1909 


?roPY. nn *ro CAT 0!V, 

NOV 80 1309 

*' *1 - • ft *1 ; 







































